Leeds line up two more exciting signings after Tarik Muharemovic as star’s eye-popping salary details emerge

Leeds United are already planning their next two moves in the transfer market, with a long-term midfield target expected to sign next after the Whites ironed out a close-to-club-record deal for Tarik Muharemovic – though the salary the Bosnian defender will earn at Elland Road will cause a few jaws to drop.

The Whites finished a very respectable 14th on their return to the Premier League last season and are now seeking five to six new signings who can take Daniel Farke’s squad to the next level. Having already landed Harry Wilson as a free agent from Fulham, it was confirmed on Tuesday evening that Leeds United had agreed a deal for towering Sassuolo defender Muharemovic.

Indeed, Leeds have agreed to pay the Serie A side a fee of €40m (£34.1m, $45.5m) for the 6ft 4in defender, who is now expected to travel to West Yorkshire for a medical.

Owners, 49ers Enterprises, certainly pulled out all the stops to land Bosnia centre-half Muharemovic, who will replace Pascal Struijk on the left side of their three-man central defence.

Beating off interest from the likes of Bournemouth and Sunderland – both of whom could offer European football – as well as Juventus, who made a late play to bring the 23-year-old back to the Allianz Stadium – Leeds not only agreed to meet Sassuolo’s price for the star, but also offered him a package that made it almost impossible for the player to reject.

Indeed, it’s reported in Italy that Muharemovic will sign a five-year deal at Elland Road, through to the summer of 2031, with the Whites also agreeing a financial package worth £5.5m a year, just over £105,000 a week, and ensuring he becomes the club’s highest-paid player in the process, topping the salary earned by striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Over a five-year deal, coupled with the transfer fee, that ensures Leeds have committed a total spend of £61.6m on the player.

Naturally, that is the going rate for the top players these days, and if the Whites want to compete with the big boys, they will certainly have to pay top wages to ensure they can elevate themselves to the next level.

While a deal for Muharamevic is now as good as done, Leeds can now turn their focus back to other signings, with a new midfielder and goalkeeper next on their agenda…

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Leeds close on Shea Charles with new goalkeeper wanted next

Next on the agenda for Leeds will be the capture of midfielder Shea Charles.

After having two bids rejected by Southampton for the Northern Ireland international already, Leeds came back in with a third proposal over the weekend. And as we reported at the time, Leeds hope to learn Saints’ response in the next few days on that offer.

The Whites’ latest – and most probably final – proposal is understood to be worth a downpayment of £23m, with a further £2m in add-ons, taking it just £5m shy of Saints’ desired price of £30m.

Leeds will hope that will prove enough, and with the player understood to be focused on a move to Leeds over rival interest from Crystal Palace and Fulham, and with the Daily Mail reporting they ‘hope to conclude a deal’ for the former Manchester City academy graduate.

The Whites’ next priority will be in landing a new goalkeeper, with the departures of Karl Darlow (to Manchester United – or, as the club put it, ‘to take up an opportunity elsewhere’) and Illan Meslier (to Arsenal) leaving Leeds down to just two senior goalkeepers.

We understand the 49ers remain keen on James Trafford – interest we exclusively first revealed back in February – though a deal for the Manchester City man remains extremely difficult to pull off.

While Leeds could match City’s £40m asking price, his wages remain problematic, while strong competition for his signature – notably from Newcastle, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur – adds further hurdles for Leeds to overcome.

However, Leeds are boosted by the fact that City are indeed open to his sale and with sources revealing that Newcastle have made no real progress towards his signing, potentially opening the door for the Whites to pounce.

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