Leeds United agreed a £34m deal in principle for Tarik Muharemovic on Tuesday.
Leeds United will hope a significant £34million outlay can raise their defensive ceiling if a deal for Sassuolo’s Tarik Muharemovic goes through.
Left-footed centre-backs are notoriously hard to find, particularly those who can do the physical and technical aspects in equal measure like Struijk. Muharemovic certainly fits that bill and at 23-years-old, even has the potential to be an upgrade on his predecessor.
Tarik Muharemovic enjoys the physical aspect of defending.placeholder image
Tarik Muharemovic enjoys the physical aspect of defending. | AFP via Getty Images
Muharemovic helped Sassuolo win promotion from Serie B on loan last season and following a permanent move, made the step up to Serie A in relative comfort. The centre-back was a regular presence in the heart of defence, his 2,835 minutes equivalent to a little under 32 full matches.
Comparatively, Struijk played 102 more league minutes for Leeds last season as part of a dependable and regularly-available back three. Should the move go through, Muharemovic’s durability will be crucial as things stand with no other natural left-sided centre-backs in Farke’s squad.
Tarik Muharemovic vs Pascal Struijk defensive stats
Muharemovic is a centre-back who likes to be right in the action, with his 10.86 defensive contributions - a combination of clearances, blocks, interceptions and tackles - per 90 minutes last season placing him among the top nine per cent of fellow Serie A defenders. In comparison, Struijk averaged 9.07 defensive contributions per game at Leeds, which was just about in the top 50 per cent of Premier League defenders.
Muharemovic is able to improve those numbers even further in the right environment, with his 17.65 defensive contributions per 90 minutes for Bosnia placing him in the top 1.3 per cent of World Cup defenders. Similarly, no one averaged more than his 14.19 clearances per 90, highlighting his ability to dominate the defensive third when his team are absorbing pressure.
Like the man he is set to replace, Muharemovic defends best when on the front foot, engaging opposition strikers and winning his individual battles. According to FotMob, the Bosnian won 64.4 per cent of his duels in Serie A last season, again placing him in the top 10 per cent of positional peers, while Struijk won 55.6 per cent. In three games at the World Cup, Muharemovic won a whopping 92.3 per cent of his aerial duels, equating to 12 out of 13.
With Bijol and Rodon alongside him, Muharemovic should be given license to push on from the defensive line and engage players looking for space between midfield and defence. It’s something Struijk has done very well for Leeds although when caught out, the Dutchman’s lack of pace on the turn has been a problem.
Muharemovic is not a particularly swift mover like Rodon, for example, but his reading of defensive situations has rarely seen him caught out at Sassuolo - albeit in a less transition-focused league. Should the Bosnian win possession off an opposition striker, he can be trusted to punch the ball forward and kickstart attacks.
Pascal Struijk has passing and Premier League edge
Decisive passing is one of the areas in which Struijk out-performed Muharemovic last season, with the former Leeds man averaging 49.86 successful passes per 90, 5.24 of which were into the final third. The £34m Whites target averaged 44.86 total passes, 3.97 of which went into the final third.
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Struijk was also a bigger set-piece threat for Leeds last season, although he somehow failed to score a single goal compared to Muharemovic’s two. The former Leeds man averaged 0.8 headed shots and 1.78 touches in the opposition box per 90 minutes compared to 0.32 headed shots and 0.79 touches in the opposition box for his potential successor.
Struijk’s biggest edge over Muharemovic is the fact he’s proven himself at Premier League-level, something the Bosnian hasn’t had a chance to do. It’s faster and more physical than Serie A but Jaka Bijol proved last season the right defenders can make that switch and actually thrive.
Muharemovic certainly has age on his side. At just 23 - the same age Struijk was during the 2022/23 relegation season - he’s got huge potential for improvement and could be enjoying his best years at Elland Road if Leeds can get a deal over the line.
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