But the club will still come out of the situation considerably richer, with a 50% sell-on clause from his original departure to Sassuolo set to bank them around €20m regardless of which Premier League club ends up signing him.
Personal terms proved the sticking point in any potential return. Muharemovic's salary demands matched Sassuolo's own valuation of the player, a price tag new Juventus sporting director Giovanni Carnevali — a long-time admirer of the 23-year-old from his previous role at Sassuolo — ultimately decided not to meet.
Instead, a bidding war has broken out in England for the 6ft 4in Bosnian centre-back, who impressed at the World Cup and has been strongly linked with Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sunderland and Bournemouth. Leeds currently hold a slight edge in the race, with Juventus simply waiting on a call from Sassuolo to learn the final sale price, expected to land between €36m and €40m, which would net the Bianconeri roughly half that figure.
It's an outcome that suits everyone involved, including Muharemovic himself, who was never fully convinced by the idea of returning to a club he left on difficult terms in the summer of 2024.
The proceeds give Juventus room to reinvest across multiple positions. Randal Kolo Muani and Alexander Sorloth remain under consideration up front, while the search for a long-term successor to Michele Di Gregorio in goal continues.
Head coach Luciano Spalletti is still hopeful of landing Emiliano "Dibu" Martinez, though talks with Aston Villa have stalled over the gap between Juventus's offer of €6-7m and Villa's €12m valuation. With that pursuit complicated, interest is growing in Tottenham's Guglielmo Vicario, now down to third-choice goalkeeper at Spurs, with Juventus reportedly weighing up a loan with an option to buy. The reporting comes from La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Muharemovic's rise has been rapid since leaving Juventus's academy. The left-footed centre-back made 32 appearances in all competitions for Sassuolo last season, scoring twice, and signed a contract running until 2031 that leaves the Emilian club under no pressure to accept anything below their asking price.
His performances for Bosnia and Herzegovina at the World Cup, including starts in the group stage, only pushed his value further out of Juventus's reach, turning what had once looked like a straightforward homecoming into a lucrative side benefit instead.