Amar Dedic is a Newcastle United player after completing a move from Benfica worth a reported £29.5 million.
The 24-year-old has signed a five-year contract at St James’ Park and will take the No. 37 shirt. Benfica have given the value of the transfer as €35.9 million. The Portuguese club also confirmed that a sell-on clause forms part of the agreement.
For Newcastle, the signing comes at a useful time. The club needed another full-back after Kieran Trippier’s departure, while Tino Livramento has been recovering from a calf injury during pre-season. Dedic’s arrival gives Matthias Jaissle another natural option on the right, but he is not limited to that position.
The Bosnian has played on both sides of defence during his career.
That flexibility may become important over the course of the season, particularly if Newcastle are dealing with injuries or a busy run of fixtures. There is another reason the transfer makes sense. Dedic and Jaissle already know one another.
They worked together in Austria during Dedic’s time in the Red Bull system and were later reunited at Salzburg. Dedic has spoken about that relationship since completing the move and made it clear that the chance to work with Jaissle again influenced his decision.
It should at least remove one of the unknowns that usually comes with changing clubs.
Dedic will still have to adjust to English football, but he will not be learning a completely unfamiliar way of playing at the same time.
What Newcastle Are Getting
Dedic is still relatively young, although his career already stretches across several leagues.
He came through Salzburg’s setup and made 95 appearances for the club before eventually leaving Austria. There was also time with Wolfsberger AC and Marseille.
Benfica made his move permanent in the summer of 2025, giving him his first full season in Portugal last year. He featured 19 times in the Primeira Liga during the 2025/26 campaign, scoring once and registering three assists.
Those numbers do not tell the whole story of his game. Dedic is a full-back who likes to get involved further up the pitch. He has the pace to carry the ball forward and is comfortable joining attacks, while his ability to play on either flank gives his coach more freedom with team selection.
Jaissle has already spoken about his athleticism and aggression, two qualities that will be tested quickly in the Premier League.
The Newcastle manager also knows exactly what he is signing. That matters.
There is a difference between watching a player from a distance and having already coached him every day. Jaissle has seen Dedic’s strengths first-hand and also knows the areas of his game that still need work. The pair enjoyed success together as well, winning the Austrian Bundesliga with Salzburg in 2023.
Dedic Arrives With International Experience
Dedic has already played 31 times for Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was part of the national team at the 2026 World Cup, where Bosnia reached the round of 32 before losing to the United States. European competition is familiar territory too.
He has Champions League experience from his club career and has even played at St James’ Park before while representing Benfica.
The stadium, then, will not be completely new to him. Everything else will be. Playing there every other week, dealing with the pace of the Premier League and competing for a starting place will present a different challenge from anything he has faced previously.
Newcastle will not expect him to have everything figured out immediately. What they do have is a player with a decent amount of experience for his age and somebody who already understands the football Jaissle wants to play.
There should also be a genuine opportunity for him to earn minutes early in the season.
With Trippier gone and Livramento only recently returning from injury, the right-back position is far from settled. Dedic now has the chance to make it his own.
Newcastle start their Premier League campaign against Liverpool at St James’ Park on August 23. Whether Dedic starts that game or begins on the bench, supporters probably will not have to wait long to see their new signing.
Publisher
The BW Game Hub Sports Analysis Unit covers major European leagues, international competitions and the global transfer market. Our reporting combines official club announcements, competition data, established news agencies and football-statistics providers. Transfer stories are checked against primary club sources wherever available, while statistical analysis uses recognised data sources such as Opta, FBref, league databases and official competition records. Where information has not been officially confirmed, BW Game Hub clearly identifies it as reported rather than confirmed.
