Tottenham transfer news: Roberto De Zerbi eyes 'extraordinary' £26.2m deal for Serie A 'dominator'

Tottenham Hotspur have earmarked 23-year-old Sassuolo defender Tarik Muharemovic as a potential summer transfer target, according to a report.

The Lilywhites remain in serious danger of dropping down to the Championship under Roberto De Zerbi, who has taken over with the Europa League winners sat 17th in the Premier League table.

Only one point separates Tottenham from West Ham United in 18th position, but De Zerbi has vowed to stay on at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium no matter what transpires next season.

The former Sassuolo, Marseille and Brighton & Hove Albion boss will also be involved in plans for the club's first transfer window, although those plans cannot be set in stone until it is known what division Spurs will be competing in next term.

However, De Zerbi could very well target players from his previous clubs regardless, and according to Tuttosport - via Sport Witness - Muharemovic has emerged as an ideal target.

Who is Tottenham-linked centre-back Tarik Muharemovic?

Born in the Slovenian city of Ljubljana, Muharemovic - who represents Bosnia-Herzegovina at international level - has established a reputation as one of the leading defensive talents in Serie A.

The 23-year-old was on the Juventus books from 2021 to 2025, but he never made the grade in Turin and was offloaded permanently to Sassuolo last summer following a season-long loan spell.

Muharemovic helped Sassuolo earn promotion to the top flight in his first campaign and has since registered two goals and two assists in 26 Serie A starts for the Neroverdi, who impressively sit in mid-table.

The 6ft 3in defender will also have the chance to showcase his talents on the global stage this summer, as he helped Bosnia-Herzegovina qualify for the 2026 World Cup, playing the full 120 minutes in their playoff final win over Italy.

How much will Tottenham have to pay for Tarik Muharemovic?

© Imago / IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Muharemovic - known for his 'domination' of Serie A forwards in recent weeks - is under contract with Sassuolo until 2031, but the Serie A side would be in no position to turn down a sizeable sum.

Sassuolo paid just €5m (£4.4m) to sign Muharemovic in 2025, and the Neroverdi would supposedly be after €30m (£26.2m) to let the Bosnian defender depart in the upcoming window - a fee that would represent an 'extraordinary capital gain'.

Spurs and Aston Villa are said to be the two main Premier League contenders for the 2003-born centre-back, whom Bournemouth tried and failed to snap up during the January transfer window.

However, Juventus are also interested in bringing him back to Turin, while Inter Milan have touched base with Sassuolo over a summer deal and could blow Spurs out of the water if De Zerbi's men go down.