Amar Dedic Completes £29.5m Move to Newcastle United
Amar Dedic has turned his back on Benfica and the Portuguese sun for Tyneside rain and the pull of a familiar face, completing a £29.5m move to Newcastle United to reunite with Matthias Jaissle.
The 24-year-old Bosnia and Herzegovina international becomes Newcastle’s sixth signing of a chaotic, reshaped summer and is expected to walk straight into the starting XI at right-back when Liverpool visit St James’ Park on Sunday.
“Working with Matthias again was a big factor for me,” Dedic said, referencing his time under Jaissle at RB Salzburg. “We know each other well; he knows what I can bring to the pitch and I’m really happy to play for him again. It’s a special feeling and a real honour to join Newcastle.”
Jaissle wasted little time after replacing Eddie Howe earlier this month. With Tino Livramento still sidelined by a calf injury and no other established senior right-back available, the gap in Newcastle’s squad was glaring. The new head coach quickly pushed Dedic’s name to the top of the list, convinced that the defender’s familiarity with his demands and structure could accelerate the team’s tactical shift.
Dedic offers more than just a plug for a problem position. Comfortable on either flank and capable of operating at left-back, he arrives already fluent in Jaissle’s high-energy, aggressive style. For a club trying to reset on the fly, that understanding matters.
While Newcastle moved to solve one full-back issue, their rivals up the road quietly won a significant battle of their own.
Sunderland win race for Methalie
Sunderland are poised to unveil Dayann Methalie on Tuesday after beating off strong interest from Roma and Newcastle to land the highly rated Toulouse left-back in a £25.6m deal.
The 20-year-old France Under-21 international, who made 28 Ligue 1 appearances last season, has signed a five-year contract at the Stadium of Light and will go straight into competition with Reinildo for a place in Régis Le Bris’ side.
Methalie brings flexibility as well as promise. He can slot in as a left-sided central defender or operate as a wing-back, giving Le Bris options as he shapes a squad that suddenly looks far more modern and ambitious.
Two clubs, two full-backs, two very different projects on either side of the Tyne–Wear divide. The season will reveal who read the market better.
