Leeds United are continuing their summer recruitment drive in Serie A, and their latest defensive target has created an intriguing subplot involving Juventus — who have a direct financial interest in which of the two options the newly promoted club ultimately pursue.
Two Targets, One Position
Having already signed Jaka Bijol from Udinese to strengthen their backline ahead of a return to the Premier League, Leeds are not done in defence. Two names are in the frame for a further centre-back addition: Tarik Muharemović of Sassuolo and Oumar Solet, also of Udinese.
The two players represent quite different profiles. Muharemović, 23, is a left-footed ball-playing defender who has become one of the summer’s most discussed young centre-backs following a commanding World Cup campaign with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Solet is a more physically imposing option — and one that Inter Milan had previously assessed before stepping back amid concerns over the Frenchman’s injury history and Udinese’s valuation.
Why Juventus Are Cheering for Muharemović
The reason Juventus have a stake in this outcome is straightforward. When they sold Muharemović to Sassuolo, they retained a 50% sell-on clause — meaning that if any club, including Leeds, purchases him from the Emilian side, Juventus receive half of the profit above the original sale price as a windfall. At Sassuolo’s current valuation of approximately €40 million, a sale to Leeds would generate a significant capital gain for Juventus without the club having to negotiate, spend, or lift a finger.
Should Leeds instead opt for Solet — in which Juventus have no financial stake whatsoever — the bianconeri gain nothing beyond the removal of one competitor from the Muharemović race. The maths, in short, are simple: the more clubs that chase Muharemović, the more Juventus profit — either directly through the sell-on clause if he goes to England, or indirectly by maintaining leverage in their own ongoing negotiations with Sassuolo should they ultimately decide to bring him back to Turin themselves.
In a summer where Carnevali has spoken repeatedly about the importance of generating capital gains smartly, the Muharemović sell-on clause may yet prove to be one of the most profitable pieces of foresight in the club’s recent history — regardless of where the Bosnian eventually lands.
