Sassuolo target Acerbi return as replacement for Leeds-bound Muharemovic
Quick summary
Sassuolo are considering bringing veteran defender Francesco Acerbi back to the club to fill the void left by Muharemovic's expected departure to Leeds United.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceFrancesco Acerbi could be back in Italian football sooner than expected, with Sassuolo considering a move for the veteran defender.
According to Gianluca Di Marzio, via LaLazioSiamoNoi , the Neroverdi have identified Acerbi as a candidate to fill the hole left by Tarik Muharemovic, whose €40 million move to Leeds United, a club-record sale for Sassuolo, is all but complete.
The Bosnian’s departure leaves a significant gap at the heart of a defence he anchored last season.
MILAN, ITALY – MAY 03: Francesco Acerbi of FC Internazionale Milano celebrates after being confirmed as Serie A champions following victory in the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and Parma Calcio 1913 at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on May 03, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images) Acerbi in line for Sassuolo homecoming For Acerbi, it would be a genuine homecoming.
The centre-back spent five formative years at the Mapei Stadium before leaving in 2018 to join Simone Inzaghi’s Lazio, the move that launched the most decorated stretch of his career, first in Rome, then at Inter, where he won the Scudetto and reached two Champions League finals.
The 38-year-old has been a free agent since his Inter contract expired at the end of June, when he departed San Siro alongside fellow veterans Stefan de Vrij and Matteo Darmian, and had seemed destined to leave Serie A altogether.
A Sassuolo return would instead keep him in the top flight, offering the Neroverdi experience and leadership at no transfer cost while their record windfall is reinvested.
Nothing is agreed at this stage, the idea is described as a hypothesis rather than a negotiation, but the logic on both sides is easy to see.
Source attribution: this article content is based on the linked publisher feed/source. Chance adds independent soccer context, impact analysis, entity links, and related news.
What happened
Serie B side Sassuolo are preparing for the potential exit of young defender Muharemovic, who is reportedly close to joining Leeds United. To reinforce their backline, the Italian club have identified former Inter and Lazio centre-back Francesco Acerbi as a primary target. Acerbi, now in the later stage of his career, would bring vast top-flight experience to Sassuolo. The move would mark a return to the club where Acerbi began his senior career before establishing himself as one of Serie A's most reliable defenders.
Chance analysis
This is a squad-reconstruction story for Sassuolo, with the club needing a defensive replacement after losing a promising young player to the Premier League. Acerbi, if signed, would provide immediate leadership and experience but is a short-term solution given his age. For Leeds, acquiring Muharemovic would be another addition in their defensive rebuild under their current project.
Sassuolo would gain experienced defensive cover but lose a young prospect; Leeds would add a developing defender to their ranks.
Monitor Acerbi's fitness and Sassuolo's defensive depth; a confirmed return would solidify their Serie B promotion push while losing a developing talent to Leeds.