​Juventus are stepping back from a potential move for Tarik Muharemović after refusing to meet Sassuolo’s valuation, while Sunderland has emerged as a serious challenger, according to Get Italian Football News, citing Alfredo Pedullà. The interest in the 23-year-old Bosnian centre-back made sense from Juventus’s perspective: Muharemović is a former Next Gen player, and Giovanni Carnevali’s arrival from Sassuolo created an existing bridge between the clubs. Carnevali even traveled to London late last season with the explicit aim of engineering a Premier League move for the defender, and his later appointment at Juventus briefly rekindled the possibility of a Turin return. However, the financials simply never aligned.
Juventus are unwilling to bid more than €15 million for Muharemović, while Sassuolo have pushed their asking price to €40 million, up from €30 million before Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Round of 32 appearance at the 2026 World Cup. That gap is not a negotiating tactic; it reflects a structural reluctance within the Bianconeri to chase a fee that has climbed beyond their defensive recruitment ceiling. For readers curious about Juventus’s earlier pursuit and the sell-on clause that influenced their initial interest in Muharemović, revisiting the background remains worthwhile.
Muharemović’s current Sassuolo contract runs until June 2031 and is understood to carry a salary of about €740,000 per year—modest by Serie A standards, a factor that only heightens his lure for Premier League clubs willing to shoulder a substantial transfer fee and offer a higher wage. Tottenham had been connected with the player but have since prioritized defensive investments, notably signing Jan Paul van Hecke for about £52 million. That development leaves Sunderland and Bournemouth as the active contenders, per Luca Cilli. Both clubs are European participants next season, and €40 million is a plausible figure for Premier League sides operating at that level of ambition.
Juventus’s withdrawal from the Muharemović pursuit aligns with a broader, more disciplined approach to defensive outlays, a stance that also mirrors the competing pressures on their squad, including ongoing challenges in their striker market. Muharemović appears headed for England, with the only remaining question being which club will secure his services. Sunderland, following a remarkable debut campaign that earned Europa League qualification, seem the likeliest destination given their momentum and the platform Régis Le Bris has cultivated at the Stadium of Light. Yet the door remains open for a late surge from another Premier League suitor or a strategic decision at Sassuolo, should the €40 million figure tilt in the right direction.
In sum, Juventus have effectively bowled out of the race for Muharemović, prioritizing restraint over an escalating price tag while Premier League clubs continue to weigh their next defensive acquisition. The market now points toward an imminent conclusion: Muharemović is likely to move, with England the most plausible destination and Sunderland standing as the current frontrunner in this high-stakes pursuit.