All eyes were on Tarik Muharemovic at the Mapei Stadium last night. The young Bosnian defender, once a Juventus academy product and now wearing Sassuolo colours, faced his former club for the first time since leaving Turin.
Born in 2003 and raised in Austria, Muharemovic joined Juventus in the summer of 2021 on a four-year deal. He started his path in the Primavera before moving up to the Next Gen squad a year later. His journey then led him to Sassuolo, where he continues his development. IlBianconero report that the meeting with his old club was expected to be an emotional one, and it certainly proved so – though not for the reasons he might have hoped.
A Night to Forget
It was far from Muharemovic’s best performance. The pressure of facing his former team appeared to weigh heavily on him, leading to what was arguably one of his toughest evenings in a Sassuolo shirt. His night was capped by an unfortunate own goal, shared in part with a poorly positioned goalkeeper, followed by moments of positional uncertainty and minor defensive slips.
Those errors can be forgiven given his age and the context – few players are immune to such emotional tests. Still, his story feels far from written in negative ink. Despite the setback, Muharemovic remains a player with considerable potential and growing attention in Serie A.
Transfer Interest
The 22-year-old has already caught the eye of several top Italian and international clubs. Sassuolo’s CEO Giovanni Carnevali confirmed after the match that the club have received multiple enquiries. He made it clear, however, that Sassuolo intend to keep hold of their key players in January, preferring to strengthen rather than sell. Carnevali also hinted that Muharemovic’s market value is already significant and likely to rise further.
Juventus Still Watching
From Juventus’s perspective, there remains a tangible link with the player. The Bianconeri still own 50% of any future sale, ensuring they would benefit financially if Sassuolo were to part with him. Furthermore, Carnevali has previously admitted that a return to Juventus cannot be ruled out, suggesting the Turin club may still have an interest in bringing Muharemovic back into the fold at some point.
For now, though, his focus will be on rediscovering consistency with Sassuolo and learning from nights like this one. Mistakes can sting, especially against an old club, but they can also shape the kind of resilient defender Juventus once saw great promise in back in 2021.
