Newcastle's Urgent Pursuit of Benfica Defender Amar Dedic
Newcastle are racing the clock to land Benfica defender Amar Dedic in time for the start of the Premier League season, with a deal worth up to £30 million now agreed in principle.
The Magpies have thrashed out an overall package for the 23-year-old Bosnia and Herzegovina international, according to TeamTalk, and the move is now down to the final touches. Personal terms are already settled: a five-year contract is in place, the framework agreed, the commitment made.
What remains is procedure – and speed. Newcastle want Dedic on Tyneside this weekend for his medical, determined to push the transfer over the line before their opening-day meeting with Liverpool at St James’ Park next Sunday. Inside the club, the message is clear: get it done.
The urgency has a very real trigger. Tino Livramento is still battling fitness issues and is not yet fully ready for the new campaign. That leaves a glaring question mark over the right side of Newcastle’s defence heading into one of the toughest fixtures of their season.
Dedic is being lined up as the answer. Not just as cover, but as a key piece.
Versatility is at the heart of Newcastle’s move. Dedic is primarily a right-back, but he can switch comfortably to left-back and has logged important minutes as a centre-back. For a squad that will be stretched by injuries and the demands of a long season, that kind of flexibility carries real value.
It also hands head coach Matthias Jaissle another tactical lever to pull. The pair know each other inside out from their time together at RB Salzburg and Liefering in Austria, where Dedic developed under Jaissle’s watch. That history matters: Jaissle is not taking a gamble on a stranger, he is backing a defender he has already trusted in high-pressure situations.
Inside the club, Jaissle is fully behind the push to complete the transfer. He is convinced Dedic can slot straight into the squad and make an immediate impact as Newcastle try to deepen and refresh their options across the back line.
Executives from Newcastle and Benfica are now working through the final details of what is described as an intricate agreement, ironing out the last clauses and conditions. Confidence is growing on Tyneside that the deal will be wrapped up in time.
If the paperwork falls into place and the medical throws up no surprises, Newcastle expect Dedic to be registered and ready for that opening clash with Liverpool. For a club intent on closing the gap to the Premier League’s elite, the question is no longer whether they will get their man – but how quickly he can help reshape their defence.
