On-loan Blues keeper Aro Muric says he’s enjoying his time with loan side Sassuolo in Serie A and is keen to settle down and spend some years at a club having moved around a lot in his career up to now.

Muric joined the newly promoted side on loan for the season in August with the deal including an option for the Kosovan international to move permanently for €10 million (£8.7 million) next summer. Reports in Italy recently claimed Sassuolo are keen to secure a permanent deal in January.

The 27-year-old, who is contracted to the Blues until the summer of 2028 following his £10 million summer-of-2024 move from Burnley, has made an impressive start to his time in Italy, keeping four clean sheets in 10 games for Serie A’s eighth-placed side.

He has also kept three successive clean sheets for Kosovo in their World Cup qualification campaign to put them second in their group, three points behind leaders Switzerland - coincidentally where he was born and grew up - and needing a point to confirm a play-off place when they travel to Slovenia on Saturday, a game Muric misses through suspension having been booked in the previous two matches.

After spending time playing in Turkey, Spain, the Netherlands and Switzerland as well as England and in Serie A, Muric, speaking to the FFK Podcast, was asked which he had most enjoyed.

“Right now it’s not bad in Italy, I like Italy,” he said. “I love it right now because we’re not doing bad, we’re doing well. It’s different, every league is different.

“I’m just fresh in Italy and I love it, but my favourite place to live was Girona in Spain. Adana in Turkey wasn’t bad. I liked it, it was a bit of a different culture. I had a good year.”

Reflecting on the differences between Serie A and the other leagues he has played in, he added: “I love Italy, the football is good as well. In England, there are a lot more transitions and the game is faster, it’s more intense. It’s just a different kind of football but Italy is top as well.”

Having moved around a fair bit, Sassuolo is his ninth permanent or loan club, Muric says he is looking to settle down at this stage of his career.

“I changed a lot of clubs but I think at that time I enjoyed it because I was young and I wanted to see new places, play in different leagues,” he recalled.

“Of course, because I was on loan, my goal was to go back to Man City [where he came through the academy] but sometimes in your career it doesn’t go how you [want it to] for all kinds of reasons.

“I enjoyed moving around but right now I’m 27, I hope to get a fixed club for a few years and we’ll do our best to get there.”

Asked whether he potentially sees himself up among Europe’s top goalkeepers, Muric reflected: “On potential, otherwise I wouldn’t get the chance to play in the Premier League if people didn’t see the potential in me. I think I’ve got the potential, for sure, but, of course, it’s not just the potential.”

Does he regret not having managed his career better? “To be fair, I knew what’s needed to be there, to get there, to fulfil my potential and as a young [player] I didn’t do it.

“But now right now, it’s not done, so I will do my best to get there. I will try to get there.”

Quizzed on whether that means a move back to the Premier League or just to bigger clubs, he added: “Just to fulfil my potential. I don’t want to sit there one day regretting that I didn’t make it because of stupid things. I think I’m now more mature. We’ll see.”

Photo: Matchday Images

Ruddock2021 added 15:35 - Nov 14 I like Muric, was he at fault for a few goals last year? Yes, but I think he kept us in a few games too like Brighton away, but the defence as a whole was shambolic at times last season. However, I do think we should cash in on him once his loan ends, his stock and confidence is high and is getting on well at his new club.
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PortmanTerrorist added 15:44 - Nov 14 Wow, Ipswich did not even make his top 3 places to be at ! He clearly did not spend enough time at the training ground ! lol Sad to say that even really good players sometimes do not work at a given Club, and whilst I feel as many do that he is the pick of our current contracted keepers on ability alone, am equally sure we are better off with Walton between the sticks as Muric just did not settle with us, lacked confidence and was not embraced by the crowd. Have to wonder how different things would have been if he started with us in the Championship, built some defensive partnerships and got some clean sheets under his belt before facing Premier League opposition....but I guess we will never know.

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NthQldITFC added 16:49 - Nov 14 Shame it hasn't worked out here, he's a cracking keeper in many ways. Good luck Aro.
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tetchris added 16:50 - Nov 14 The pace of the PL was too much for him!
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Harwich_Blue added 17:05 - Nov 14 Nice lad but he comes across exactly as he did at Ipswich , Hard work to communicate with , football and ability is of course paramount , but being a character and building a rapport with the fans is really important , its helps breed confidence both sides , I give you Azon , 6 or 7 games and already becoming a fans favourite - why , because he just has that connection , Muric lacked it.....best he moves on.

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Bazza8564 added 17:20 - Nov 14 Good comments above, all of which I endorse, but I still feel as fans we were quick to slaughter him. Every time a keeper makes a mistake we lose a goal, every time a striker misses a chance it's all about the next one going in. The driving thing didnt help but it was months before we knew about that by which time most had written him off Let's take €8m in January and move on

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