{"id":26695,"date":"2026-04-18T21:29:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T21:29:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo76e71539\/2026\/04\/18\/aston-villa-face-intense-competition-for-e25-defender-why-do-they-still-have-reasons-to-fight\/"},"modified":"2026-04-18T21:29:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T21:29:12","slug":"aston-villa-face-intense-competition-for-e25-defender-why-do-they-still-have-reasons-to-fight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo76e71539\/2026\/04\/18\/aston-villa-face-intense-competition-for-e25-defender-why-do-they-still-have-reasons-to-fight\/","title":{"rendered":"Aston Villa Face Intense Competition For \u20ac25 Defender: Why Do They Still Have Reasons To Fight?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur<\/a> both have confirmed<\/a> interest in Tarik Muharemovic, the 23-year-old Sassuolo centre-back who has suddenly become the focal point of one of European football\u2019s most intense summer transfer battles. However, Inter Milan have now jumped ahead of the Premier League duo, and reports suggest a personal agreement between the player and the Nerazzurri is already a done deal. That news alone should give the board at Villa Park plenty to think about before the summer window opens.<\/p>\n

Aston Villa face growing competition for Sassuolo\u2019s Muharemovic as Inter close in<\/h3>\n

Muharemovic joined the Mapei Stadium for just \u20ac5 million in 2025 after an initial loan, and his stock has risen fast. He has made 27 appearances across all competitions this season, standing out for his composure on the ball and physical presence.<\/p>\n

Then came Bosnia and Herzegovina\u2019s World Cup playoff against Italy, the night that changed the trajectory of his career. Muharemovic was vital in Bosnia\u2019s qualification for this summer\u2019s World Cup, helping them knock out Italy in a penalty shootout. That performance put his name on recruitment lists across the continent almost overnight.<\/p>\n

How does the transfer race actually stand\u00a0right now?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Sassuolo CEO Giovanni Carnevali confirmed<\/a> the club have already fielded inquiries for Muharemovic. He noted that the price tag will fluctuate depending on who comes calling, stating: \u201cWe haven\u2019t put a value on him; we\u2019ll evaluate whatever offers we receive. Whether from a big Italian club or a Premier League team, the values will vary. We\u2019ll also see if anyone offers something in return.\u201d<\/em> That mention of player exchanges is important because Inter plan<\/a> to include a youth prospect in the deal to lower the cash price, and Sassuolo are reportedly open to taking a Nerazzurri talent in return.<\/p>\n

Sassuolo have set a \u20ac25 million asking price for the 23-year-old, which is actually lower than the \u20ac30 million figure previously reported by Tuttosport and Sport Witness. Juventus sold Muharemovic to Sassuolo last summer but kept a 50% sell-on clause and a right of first refusal. This means Juve stand to profit from any sale and could technically use that leverage to jump ahead of Inter or the English sides.<\/p>\n

Transfer expert Matteo Moretto addressed this on Fabrizio Romano\u2019s YouTube channel, saying, \u201cThere is always Juventus, but Inter are the club moving with the most force.\u201d<\/em> He added that Muharemovic is currently pausing other offers while he waits for the Nerazzurri to finalise things.<\/p>\n

Inter are looking at including a player in the deal to bring the cost down. With Stefan De Vrij, Matteo Darmian, and Francesco Acerbi all likely to leave the San Siro, Beppe Marotta has made Muharemovic a priority. If Alessandro Bastoni moves to Barcelona, the need for a replacement becomes even more urgent. Inter have reportedly already reached a basic agreement with the Bosnian to step in if Bastoni departs.<\/p>\n

Why do Aston Villa still have reasons to stay in the fight?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"Aston
SASSUOLO, ITALY \u2013 APRIL 04: Tarik Muharemovic of US Sassuolo during the Serie A match between US Sassuolo Calcio and Cagliari Calcio at Mapei Stadium Citta del Tricolore on April 04, 2026 in Sassuolo, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Even with Inter\u2019s current momentum, Aston Villa still have a strong case for staying in the race this summer. Tyrone Mings turned 33 last month, and Victor Lindel\u00f6f will be 32 before next season kicks off, leaving Unai Emery with a defensive age gap that needs fixing. Muharemovic, who turned 23 in late February, would be a smart long-term option for Villa. As a left-footed centre-back who is dominant in the air and comfortable playing out from the back, he is a perfect option for Emery\u2019s system. Villa<\/a> might also consider selling Pau Torres, and Muharemovic looks like a natural successor for that role.<\/p>\n

The financials are a bit tricky. Aston Villa<\/a> will want to negotiate the price down, but with so much interest in the Bosnian, Sassuolo aren\u2019t likely to budge easily. However, Villa\u2019s advantage comes from the wages and commercial profile an English club can offer compared to Inter. These factors could make Muharemovic rethink his preference for the San Siro if Villa move quickly with a solid offer.<\/p>\n

The window is getting tighter, but the door isn\u2019t closed yet. Emery has a track record of convincing players to join his project over bigger names, and Muharemovic is exactly the kind of signing that has worked for Villa in the past. Whether the club make a move or stay on the sidelines while Inter wrap up a deal will be a clear sign of their intentions for the 2026-27 season.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur both have confirmed interest in Tarik Muharemovic, the 23-year-old Sassuolo centre-back who has suddenly become the focal point of one of European football\u2019s most intense summer transfer battles. However, Inter Milan have now jumped ahead of the Premier League duo, and reports suggest a personal agreement between the player and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13963,"featured_media":26696,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26695","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo76e71539\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26695","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo76e71539\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo76e71539\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo76e71539\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13963"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo76e71539\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26695"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo76e71539\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26695\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo76e71539\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26696"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo76e71539\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26695"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo76e71539\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26695"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo76e71539\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26695"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}