Newcastle Racing to Sign Benfica Defender Amar Dedić

Newcastle are racing the clock to land Benfica defender Amar Dedić in time for the start of the Premier League season, with a deal worth up to £30 million now in place in principle.

The club have thrashed out the framework of the transfer package for the 23-year-old, according to TeamTalk, and only the final fine print stands between the Bosnian international and a move to Tyneside. Personal terms are already agreed on a five-year contract, leaving Newcastle focused on getting the medical done this weekend.

They want no delays.

Tino Livramento’s fitness problems have sharpened the urgency around the move. The England full-back is still short of full sharpness heading into the new campaign, and Newcastle are determined not to be caught light in a key position when the season kicks off.

Liverpool at St James’ Park is not a fixture you drift into undercooked. That is the backdrop to this push.

Newcastle’s hierarchy are intent on having Dedić registered, in training and available for selection by the time Jürgen Klopp’s side arrive next Sunday. The plan is clear: get the defender through his medical, sign off the remaining paperwork with Benfica, and hand Matthias Jaissle another option for one of the biggest games of their season’s opening stretch.

Dedić’s appeal goes well beyond short-term cover. He is primarily a right-back, but he can flip to the left and has experience as a centre-back, giving Jaissle a flexible piece for his back line. One signing, three positions covered. For a coach who likes to tweak shapes and press aggressively, that kind of adaptability is gold.

There is also a strong personal thread running through this move. Jaissle knows exactly what he is getting. The pair worked closely together at RB Salzburg and Liefering in Austria, where Dedić developed under the German’s watch. That familiarity has removed any doubt in the manager’s mind about whether the defender can handle the demands of his system and of English football.

Jaissle is fully behind the transfer and believes Dedić can make an immediate impact as he looks to deepen and harden Newcastle’s squad. This is not a long-term project signing in his eyes; it is a player he expects to plug straight into the first team.

Executives from both clubs are now working through the last details of what is described as an intricate agreement, ironing out clauses and add-ons to complete the package. Inside St James’ Park, the mood is increasingly confident. Newcastle believe they are close.

If the next few days go the way they intend, Dedić will walk out in black and white with Liverpool in town and a new chapter of Jaissle’s Newcastle taking shape in real time.