Sometimes in football, the most elegant transfer stories are those that come full circle. Tarik Muharemović was developed in Juventus’s youth system, sold to Sassuolo, and turned himself into one of Serie A’s most impressive young defenders under the tutelage of — among others — Giovanni Carnevali. Now, with Carnevali sitting in the chief executive’s chair at the Allianz Stadium, the conditions for a remarkable homecoming have quietly but unmistakably fallen into place.
The Financial Mechanism That Changes Everything
The reason Juventus can realistically compete for Muharemović — despite Sassuolo valuing him at between €30 and €35 million and despite competition from clubs with deeper pockets — lies in a sell-on clause retained at the time of his original departure from Turin. When Juventus sold Muharemović to Sassuolo, they inserted a 50% sell-on clause into the agreement. In practice, this means that if Juventus are the club to re-sign him, they would effectively pay only half of whatever fee Sassuolo demand — with the other half returning to Juventus as the selling club.
At a valuation of €30 million, Juventus’s net outlay would therefore be in the region of €15 million. In the current market, that is exceptional value for a 23-year-old Bosnian international centre-back who has become one of the more eye-catching performers at the World Cup in the United States.
Carnevali: Both Sides of the Table at Once
The Carnevali dimension adds a layer of complexity — and opportunity — that no other club can replicate. Having worked with Muharemović directly at Sassuolo, Carnevali knows the player’s qualities, his character, and his ceiling better than virtually anyone in Italian football. He also understands Sassuolo’s internal dynamics, their financial pressures following their own management transition, and the valuation framework the club will apply. That depth of knowledge, on both sides of the negotiation, is an extraordinary advantage.
It also means that what might otherwise be a delicate or potentially adversarial conversation — Juventus approaching a club for a player they once developed and sold — can be handled with the warmth and directness of a conversation between people who know and respect each other. That is the Carnevali method: relationships before transactions, dialogue before ultimatums.
A World Cup Subplot Worth Watching
Muharemović’s performances for Bosnia and Herzegovina at the World Cup have only added to the interest surrounding him. A commanding, left-footed ball-player with genuine pace and an eye for a forward pass, he is precisely the profile Spalletti has identified as essential for the new-look Juventus defence. The better he performs on the international stage, the more attention he will attract — and the more Juventus’s financial advantage via the sell-on clause becomes a decisive competitive edge.
For a club that must sell smartly before it can buy, the Muharemović opportunity is one of the most intelligently structured possibilities of the entire window. Half price, full quality, and a chief executive who knows exactly what he is buying. It is, in essence, the Sassuolo method applied at the Allianz Stadium.
