Leeds United have agreed a deal worth €40million (£34.1m) with Sassuolo to sign centre-back Tarik Muharemovic.The 23-year-old defender is set to fly to England on Thursday for a medical to complete the transfer.The Athletic reported on Tuesday that Leeds were working on a deal for Muharemovic, whose contract with Sassuolo had been to June 2031.The Bosnia and Herzegovina international made three appearances at this summer’s World Cup, and was on the receiving end of the Folarin Balogun’s foul which saw the United States forward shown a straight red card in the round of 16.Muharemovic, a left-footed, 6ft 4in centre-back, is set to become Leeds’ second signing of the transfer window, following the free transfer of Harry Wilson after he left Fulham.It comes after the departure of Pascal Struijk, who joined Brighton & Hove Albion this summer and was Daniel Farke’s previous first-choice left-footed central defender.Struijk left Elland Road alongside goalkeepers Illan Meslier and Karl Darlow, who have joined Arsenal and Manchester United respectively.Muharemovic appeared in 32 of Sassuolo’s 38 Serie A matches last season, helping his side record an 11th-place finish on their return to the top-flight. In the previous campaign, he was a key member of the squad which finished as champions of Italy’s second tier.Muharemovic spent his early career in Austria, before moving to Juventus’ youth set-up in 2021. He did not make a first-team appearance for the Turin club.The defender ticks boxes for Leeds teamLeeds came into the summer with one eye on central defence after last season’s switch to three centre-backs. Struijk’s sale to Brighton only hastened that need for reinforcements.Muharemovic fills a lot of the holes Struijk left behind. Most importantly, the Bosnia international is left-footed. He can fill that left-sided berth in a back-three or back-four.He is also 6ft 4in and proven aerially dominant during his time with Sassuolo in Italy’s top two tiers. At 23, he also has his best years ahead of him, alongside potential resale value.The underlying data shows he has a penchant for long-range passing and a useful goal threat in the opposition penalty area. While he does not like to defend on the front foot too much, when he does go to engage attackers, he is usually successful in his tackling.The size of the fee should also be acknowledged. This agreement is for a package worth in excess of £34m. Georginio Rutter is the only player in the club’s history to have cost them more.This is a major sign of intent from Leeds and a real show of faith in the quality Muharemovic possesses.Muharemovic was caught at the heart of global headlines this summer as the recipient of the red-card tackle Balogun was found to have committed at the World Cup. Balogun’s ban was subsequently suspended for one year.