Newcastle Pursue Amar Dedić Before Premier League Opener
Newcastle are accelerating their move for Benfica defender Amar Dedić, racing the clock to have the deal sealed in time for the Premier League opener against Liverpool.
According to TeamTalk, the club have an agreement in principle with Benfica for a package that could rise to £30 million for the 23-year-old Bosnia and Herzegovina international. The heavy lifting is done. What’s left are the fine details: paperwork, final clauses, and signatures.
Personal terms are already locked in. Dedić has agreed a five-year contract, and Newcastle want him on Tyneside this weekend to complete his medical. The plan is clear – get everything signed off, get him registered, and get him straight into the matchday squad.
The urgency is no mystery. Tino Livramento is still working his way back to full fitness and isn’t yet ready to shoulder the demands of the new campaign. Newcastle don’t just want cover. They want a defender who can walk into the group and raise the level immediately.
Dedić ticks that box. Primarily a right-back, he can also slot in on the left and has experience operating as a centre-back. That kind of flexibility is gold for a squad heading into a long, punishing season. It gives Matthias Jaissle another tool, another angle, another way to adjust mid-game without ripping up his structure.
There’s another layer to this move. Jaissle knows exactly what he’s buying. The Newcastle head coach worked closely with Dedić in Austria at RB Salzburg and Liefering, overseeing some of the defender’s most important developmental years. That familiarity has driven this pursuit; Jaissle is fully behind the transfer and convinced the Bosnian can make an instant impact.
Executives from both clubs are now ironing out the last elements of what is described as a complex agreement. Newcastle’s confidence is growing. The feeling inside the club is that, if the next few days run smoothly, Dedić will be registered in time and standing in the tunnel at St James’ Park next Sunday, ready for Liverpool and ready for the Premier League.
