Amar Dedic Joins Newcastle United for £29.5m
Amar Dedic has turned his back on Benfica and bet his future on Tyneside, 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, reshaping summer and is expected to walk straight into the side at right-back when Liverpool visit St James’ Park on Sunday.
“Working with Matthias again was a big factor for me,” Dedic said, reflecting on his decision after previously playing under Newcastle’s new head coach 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.”
Newcastle have been crying out for cover on the right side of defence. Tino Livramento’s calf injury has stripped Jaissle of senior options there in pre-season, exposing a glaring weakness just as the campaign looms. Once he replaced Eddie Howe earlier this month, the German moved quickly, identifying Dedic as the solution and pushing club executives to get the deal done.
Dedic offers more than a sticking plaster. Comfortable on either flank and already schooled in Jaissle’s high-tempo, aggressive style, he arrives as a ready-made fit rather than a long-term project. That tactical familiarity is precisely what Newcastle’s new manager wants as he tries to stamp his identity on a squad still adjusting to change.
Sunderland's Move
Across the Tyne, Sunderland have made a statement of their own.
The club are poised to confirm the signing of 20-year-old Toulouse defender Dayann Methalie on Tuesday after beating off interest from Roma and Newcastle to secure a £25.6m deal. It is a bold outlay and a clear show of faith in a player who has risen quickly.
Methalie, a France Under-21 international, made 28 Ligue 1 appearances last season and will go straight into competition with Reinildo for the left-back spot in Régis Le Bris’ side. His versatility is a major part of the appeal: he can operate as a left-sided centre-back or as a wing-back, giving Sunderland’s head coach extra flexibility as he reshapes his back line.
He has signed a five-year contract at the Stadium of Light, a commitment that underlines Sunderland’s ambition to build around young, high-ceiling talent just as their rivals up the road accelerate their own rebuild under Jaissle.
