news-engine

On Tuesday, Newcastle United confirmed the signing of a new right-back, Amar Dedic, who has a prior working relationship with the club's manager after joining from Benfica. The 24-year-old becomes the Magpies' sixth senior signing of the summer and will wear the No. 37 shirt. The Bosnia and Herzegovina international has signed a five-year deal and joined Newcastle after the club paid £30M to Benfica. The signing was in a position that Newcastle desperately needed. Right-back a priority position for Magpies After Kieran Trippier departed earlier in the summer, when his contract expired, and he joined Wolverhampton Wanderers, the club was left without another senior right-back. Although Lewis Miley has shown he can cover in that position, having filled in the role last season, that isn't going to be his permanent position, given his importance in the midfield. Mason Miley has made appearances in pre-season and performed well at RB. However, given he's still only 17-years-old , Lewis's younger brother is still developing and will be considered for heavy rotation, such as in an upcoming Carabao Cup game against West Bromwich Albion. Given Tino Livramento's frequent injuries and inconsistent form, it was a priority for Newcastle to bring in another senior RB, given their slim options. Competition for Tino Livramento Dedic is more than likely to go straight into the first eleven for Newcastle's Premier League opener against Liverpool, as Livramento picked up an injury whilst away with England in mid-June. It forced him to come back early, and he has been recovering since. He was seen in training on Wednesday morning, but it is unlikely he will be back until maybe the game against Tottenham Hotspur; if not, the latest could be against West Brom. But fresh competition will be good for the 23-year-old, who hasn't quite reached the heights he did when he first arrived, with inconsistencies over the last two seasons and injuries being a problem for him. Dedic, meanwhile, will provide Newcastle with that progressiveness to get up the pitch, being combative in duels, charging into central zones with diagonal movements and comfortable coming inside with the ball. The Premier League will be a competitive step up for Dedic, but if he can get firing straight away, it will be hard for Jaissle not to drop him from the first eleven. Plus, it provides the club with healthy competition, which Newcastle could do with. Having two in-form full-backs who can cause trouble for opposition sides and contribute to the forward play has been missing from Newcastle. Working history with Matthias Jaissle Dedic becomes the first signing of the Matthias Jaissle era on Tyneside and is familiar with the 24-year-old, as he managed him during his time at RB Salzburg. In 2023, they won the Austrian title together, so Jaissle is aware of the quality he can bring in both defensive and attacking areas. It wouldn't come as a shock if he were to slot in straight away at right-back on Sunday. He is familiar with Jaissle's system and the high demand for pressing intensity and working their way up the pitch with pace, playing progressive, vertical football and winning the ball high up the pitch. In a statistic first reported by BBC Sport, Dedic's 24 Primeira Liga appearances last season ranked him second among full-backs for carries into the final third, making 49, providing 202 progressive carries, and totalling 325 carries; in both, he ranked third among full-backs. Dedic can also cover at left-back, which is a bonus for Newcastle. However, the club still needs more work and further reinforcements to really compete and be ready for the upcoming Premier League season, especially with the transfer deadline approaching on September 1st.