Leeds United signed seven new players in the summer to strengthen a squad that finished 14th in the Premier League table and comfortably survived its first year back in the top flight.
A few of their new faces have made a solid start at Leeds and have played a major part in their strong start to the season, with Leeds on nine points after five Premier League games.
James Trafford has been a clear upgrade in goal for Leeds, and the club’s decision to spend a club-record fee on him has already been justified this season.
However, Leeds have also added more steel and bite to their defence, and Tarik Muharemovic has looked a class apart at the heart of their backline early in the campaign.
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Leeds’ investment in Tarik Muharemovic will certainly pay off
After Pascal Struijk left Leeds to join Brighton in the summer, Leeds knew they needed to find a replacement centre-back as soon as possible.
Muharemovic was identfied as the man to replace Struijk, and Leeds pushed the envelope to sign the centre-back from Sassuolo for £34.1m.
It was a big fee for Leeds, but Muharemovic’s performances suggest it could be a major bargain, given his profile and what he has added to the Whites’ defence.
But his value has only gone up since joining Leeds, as major European clubs are now looking at the defender as a potential solution in the upcoming transfer windows.
Barcelona and Inter Milan are interested in Muharemovic and have been monitoring his performances for Leeds in the Premier League.
Leeds have no interest in selling the centre-back, but the £34.1m fee now looks like a bargain given the level of clubs keeping an eye on him.
While the Whites do not want to sell him, they could now quote a huge fee and turn a major profit if Barcelona and Inter Milan make a concrete move for Muharemovic in the near future.
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Muharemovic has been an upgrade on Struijk
Muharemovic has quickly looked like an upgrade on Pascal Struijk at Leeds, bringing greater composure, mobility and aggression to the heart of the defence.
While Struijk was often reliable in possession and strong in the air, Muharemovic appears more comfortable defending on the front foot and dealing with the pace of Premier League attacks.
His reading of the game has stood out, particularly when stepping out to intercept or win the ball before danger develops. He also looks increasingly confident playing out from the back, giving Leeds another option when building possession.
It is still early in his Leeds career, but the Croatian has already made a strong case that the club have improved their defensive options.
I thought he was from Bosnia?