Leeds United hope to secure the signing of Tarik Muharemovic in the next hours following confirmation that the towering Bosnian defender will arrive in West Yorkshire on Thursday to undergo a medical ahead of becoming the club’s second biggest signing of all time.
The Whites finished a progressive 14th on their return to the Premier League last season and now want to add more quality to their squad as Daniel Farke’s squad look to push into the top half of the table in 2026/27.
They have already pulled off the impressive coup of Harry Wilson as a free agent, and Leeds United have now shaken hands on a deal to bring World Cup star Muharemovic to Elland Road after agreeing to pay Sassuolo £34m (€40m, $54m) for the 6ft 4in defender, who will replace Pascal Struijk in their squad.
TEAMtalk revealed on Monday that Muharemovic was ready to green light the move to Elland Road following successful talks over the weekend and with the Whites beating off competition from Sunderland, Bournemouth and the player’s former club, Juventus.
Leeds, for their part, are understood to have offered the player a five-year deal through to 2031 and on wages that will top £100,000 a week – making him the best-paid in their squad and slightly ahead of current top earner Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Now, sources can confirm that Muharemovic will fly into West Yorkshire on Thursday to undergo medical checks, which, if completed successfully, will then see him whisked over to Elland Road to sign on the dotted line and complete the formalities of the transfer.
That move will be the second biggest in the club’s history, just behind the £35m fee paid to Hoffenheim for Georginio Rutter in January 2023.
The Whites are also being linked with other defensive recruits, in the form of another Serie A defender, and amid claims that two more of their own defenders could leave.
That’s after a £2m deal was struck with Young Boys for the sale of full-back Isaac Schmidt, who departs after two years and just 14 appearances for the club.
A deal for Shea Charles is also nearing for Leeds with hopes growing that an agreement with Southampton is close.
Next up for Leeds, the focus will be on signing a new goalkeeper, which has become all the more pressing after some concerning news around Lucas Perri that has emerged…
DON’T MISS: Leeds duo set for summer exit as £21m transfer gains pace after Muharemovic breakthrough
Reports claim Lucas Perri has asked to leave Leeds
Having already lost Karl Darlow, who the club said has ‘taken up an opportunity elsewhere’ and joined Manchester United as a free agent, as well as Illan Meslier to Arsenal, Leeds suddenly find themselves down to just two senior goalkeepers.
Indeed, with just Alex Cairns, who has himself signed a new two-year deal at Elland Road, and Perri – a £13.9m signing from Lyon last July – now the only two senior stoppers on the club’s books, the Whites will have to add at least one new goalkeeper to their ranks this summer.
However, Perri’s own future has also been under the spotlight in recent weeks. The goalkeeper took time to settle at Leeds last season following his move and lost his place to Darlow around the turn of the year, with the Wales international finishing the 2025/26 campaign as the Whites’ undisputed number one.
After TEAMtalk exclusively revealed in February that an ‘underwhelmed’ Farke was open to allowing the Brazilian to move on, it has emerged over the last couple of weeks that the 6ft 6in stopper is a target for Italian side Torino.
Now, according to Football Insider, Perri has agreed personal terms with the Serie A side and is ready to ask Leeds to let him leave, fearing he will not get to play regular first-team football if he hangs around at Elland Road.
Indeed, sources can confirm that Leeds are very much in the hunt for a new goalkeeper, and that is fast becoming the club’s most urgent transfer priority of the summer window.
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Leeds ready to make James Trafford transfer push
We revealed on Wednesday that the Whites remain strongly keen on a deal for James Trafford and are among a clutch of clubs ready to make a firm approach for his services once England return from the World Cup early next week.
To that end, City are anticipating some concrete offers to arrive for the England back-up goalkeeper, with sources understanding that Trafford will be made available for the right price, given he will not be first choice under Man City manager Enzo Maresca next season and is keen for regular game time.
With Trafford ready to take on a new challenge elsewhere, he is not short of suitors.
We have consistently reported thatLeeds United are one of the clubs showing strong interest in securing his signature.
The Whites are understood to see the England international as a long-term solution between the posts and have already made their admiration clear to Man City’s hierarchy and Trafford’s representatives.
However, as revealed, they are far from the keeper’s only suitors and face seriously strong competition to get a deal done.
Deals for both Trafford and Charles, who know one another from their time in the Manchester City academy, could set the Whites back a combined £65m.
Factoring in Muharemovic, deals for all three could take Leeds’ summer spend through the £99m mark.