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Newcastle United are on the brink of a £30m deal for Benfica Amar Dedic with the full-back expected to jet into Tyneside this evening. The arrival of Dedic will mark stage one of what sporting director Ross Wilson sees as a two-tier transfer plan before next Sunday's encounter with Liverpool. The Magpies faced Bayer Leverkusen without a senior right-back with Mason Miley grasping his opportunity and being named man of the match in the 2-1 defeat, while Matthias Jaissle singled him out for praise in his Press conference. Chronicle Live reported on Saturday morning that the deal for Dedic was progressing and Toon chiefs spent yesterday putting the final touches to the transfer of the ex-Red Bull Salzburg man. A midfielder will follow Dedic with Bayern Munich's Joao Palhinha a possibility for the Magpies if Wilson can pull the deal off. A move for Pahlinha to Aston Villa fell through with the second city club failing in negotiations, with Bayern transfer chief Max Eberl saying on Friday that a deal with Villa - who were looking for a loan - 'simply won't work' Newcastle are monitoring Palhinha's situation and Eberl has dropped a new hint on how to unlock the player's exit, claiming yesterday: "I’ve never said that [only permanent]. We have to see. There are many different possibilities nowadays. It could be that someone says 'we’re ready to pay a high loan fee', then you say 'OK, we have to accept'. "I can’t push Joao to a particular club, and Joao can’t tell us I’ll only go to go to a particular club, and the other club can’t tell us I’ll only offer you this and nothing else. The talks take place between three parties. And it has to be a fit for everyone." No formal introduction for Matthias Jaissle The new German head coach had a quiet introduction to life at St James' Park before kick off and while a clutch of photographers were in place next to the dugout for his first steps into the technical area, there was no grand entrance. Down the years we've seen the likes of Sir Bobby Robson, Kevin Keegan, Ruud Gullit, Kenny Dalglish and Rafa Benitez announed over the PA system as they made their way on to the field. But Jaissle's welcome extended no further than an image and warm greeting on the newly-installed scoreboards at the Gallowgate End and Milburn Stand. The new scoreboards also led to some concerns from supporters in the Gallowgate End that the new additions restricted part of the view from behind the goal, with the away end at the top of Level 7 now not visible from certain seats. Nick Pope future in doubt It remains to be seen whether Nick Pope surfaces against Strasbourg today, but suggestions he could be on the verge of a Newcastle exit were bouncing around St James' Park yesterday. Jaissle stuck with Lukas Hornicek for the clash against Leverkusen, with youngster Aidan Harris in reserve, while Ewen Jaouen - primed for today's encounter with the Ligue 1 side - is deemed as No 2 this summer. Pope is believed to be on Hull City's wish-list while rumours of a move to Ipswich Town came and went earlier this summer, leaving the England international as a frustrated spectator at the moment. He doesn't want a role as No 3. Sky's Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle includes at least 215 live Premier League clashes across the 2026/27 season, with more than 1,500 games from the EFL and beyond, plus F1, golf and darts. This introductory offer saves £384 compared to the standard price, with every package also providing 100 regular channels alongside free Netflix and discovery+ subscriptions. Here at ChronicleLive, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Newcastle United coverage and analysis. Make sure you don't miss out on the latest NUFC news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories. And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Everything is Black and White podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.