Leeds could immediately seal a better signing than Muharemovic for £26m

It is no secret that Leeds United are in the market for a new central defender after they sold Pascal Struijk to Premier League rivals Brighton & Hove Albion for £20m earlier this summer,

The Dutch centre-back started 33 times in the Premier League for Daniel Farke in the 2025/26 campaign, but opted against putting pen to paper on a contract extension at Elland Road.

His refusal to sign a new deal meant that the club had to take the decision to part ways with him this summer because they would have otherwise lost him on a free transfer next summer.

They have moved quickly to secure a replacement, agreeing a huge £34m fee with Sassuolo to sign Bosnia international Tarik Muharemovic as a replacement for Struijk.

Where Tarik Muharemovic would fit in at Leeds

Farke made the decision to switch from a 4-3-3 to a 3-4-2-1 or 3-5-2 set-up for most of the 2025/26 campaign, as it made the team harder to beat and ultimately led to them avoiding relegation straight back down to the Championship.

That change in shape also meant that Leeds played with an extra centre-back, playing three central defenders, and placed a bigger emphasis on having balanced options in those positions.

Struijk, who left the club after more than eight years in West Yorkshire, was the only natural left-footed centre-back in the squad, which means that his exit has left Farke without a balanced set of options in that position for his back three.

Muharemovic, though, is a left-footed centre-back who could arrive at Elland Road to directly replace the Dutchman to provide balance at the back when playing out of defence with the ball, as he can open up onto his stronger foot to play passes forward.

That means that the Bosnian defender, who made 32 appearances in the Serie A for Sassuolo last season, would fit in perfectly as the left-sided centre-back in Farke’s back three.

Leeds in talks to sign a better centre-back than Muharemovic

Muharemovic may not be the only central defender added to the squad by the club, though, as they are looking at another star who would be an even better signing ahead of next season.

Tuesday’s edition of Messaggero Veneto reports that Leeds United are interested in a deal to sign Udinese centre-back Oumar Solet in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Whites are attempting to agree personal terms with the player in an effort to convince him to make the switch to West Yorkshire in the coming weeks.

Journalist Francesco Guerrieri adds that Leeds are currently locked in ongoing talks with Udinese to agree a fee for the French star, as they push to secure his signature.

The 26-year-old star, who Calcio Mercato previously claimed is valued at £26m, would not be directly competing with Muharemovic for a place in the starting line-up, as he is a right-footed centre-back.

Solet, therefore, could compete for the right-sided or central positions in the back three, rather than being a specialised left-footed player like the Bosnian, but he would be comfortably better than Sassuolo star.

Both players played in the Serie A as centre-backs in the 2025/26 campaign, for Udinese and Sassuolo respectively, and it was Solet who came out on top with his performances.

The French ace averaged 3.5 tackles and interceptions and 5.6 duels won per game in the Italian top-flight, compared to Muharemovic’s 2.8 tackles and interceptions and 4.2 duels won per match.

These statistics suggest that he would cut out more opposition attacks for Leeds with timely tackles, interceptions, and duels won, than the Sassuolo ace.

He also completed 1.2 dribbles per game, compared to the Bosnian star’s 0.2, which suggests that he is far more likely to bypass the opposition’s defence by dribbling forward with the ball to start attacks for his side.

His superior ball-playing skills are further evidenced by his 59% long pass success rate, 19% better than Muharemovic’s, and that means that he could make a greater impact both on and off the ball for the Whites.

Therefore, Leeds should pursue both players this summer because Muharemovic can fill the hole in the left-sided centre-back position, whilst Solet would elevate the team’s quality at the back.