Leeds push to blow two clubs out of the water in Tarik Muharemovic race as verbal offer made

Leeds United are aiming to complete the signing of Tarik Muharemovic this week.

The 23-year-old defender is attracting plenty of Premier League interest after impressing in Serie A with Sassuolo last season.

He also caught the eye of admirers on the international stage this year, having helped Bosnia & Herzegovina beat Wales and Italy to qualify for the World Cup, where the Balkans nation managed to reach the knock-out stages.

Leeds are now hot on the heels of Muharemovic and Fabrizio Romano reported on Sunday night that the Whites have not only offered a verbal contract to the centre-back, they're also keen to wrap up the deal in the coming days.

Leeds have already sold Pascal Struijk to Brighton this summer, meaning that Daniel Farke is keen to add to his defensive options before the Premier League season kicks off in just over a month's time.

However, there are a couple of issues that could get in Leeds' way when it comes to getting a deal done.

How Leeds are aiming to beat rivals to Tarik Muharemovic's signature

It's been widely reported that Bournemouth and Sunderland are also showing an interest in Muharemovic.

Romano reported via his X account on Sunday though that Leeds are still "confident" of beating the other two clubs in the race for his signature.

It is understood that Leeds have not only offered personal terms, but they're also pushing to get the deal done this week, and talks with Sassuolo are expected to happen soon.

Muharemovic played 32 times in Serie A last season for Sassuolo, scoring two goals and supplying two assists to help them finish 11th in the league.

His strong performances have affected his value, and that's another hurdle for Leeds to overcome.

How much will Muharemovic cost Leeds?

According to transfermarkt, Muharemovic's current market value is just under £22million.

However, after the strong season he had - plus starring on the biggest stage of them all in North America - Leeds will likely have to pay more than that.

MOT Leeds News has previously covered claims that Sassuolo want as much as £30m for Muharemovic - £10m more than what Brighton paid for Struijk.

There are a lot of factors when judging what players are worth what, but it doesn't feel as though it would be right for Leeds to pay 50 per cent more than what they sold Struijk for, for someone who isn't tested in the Premier League.