NEWCASTLE UNITED SAID on Tuesday they had signed Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Amar Dedic from Portuguese side Benfica for a fee reported to be £30 million (€35.09 million).
The 24-year-old Austria-born Dedic, who started three of his country’s matches at the World Cup this year, signed a five-year contract.
The right-back will be reunited with Newcastle’s new manager Matthias Jaissle, with whom he won the Austrian title at Red Bull Salzburg in 2023.
Dedic joined Red Bull Salzburg in 2019 and played for the feeder club Liefering, where he first worked with Jaissle.
He spent time on loan at Austrian side Wolfsberger and French club Marseille before joining Benfica on a permanent deal.
He has won 31 caps for Bosnia.
Newcastle have had a difficult summer, losing Anthony Gordon to Barcelona, Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali to Tottenham and Bruno Guimaraes to Arsenal.
Highly regarded manager Eddie Howe also left after five years in charge.
They have brought in defensive midfielder Aladji Bamba and Ivory Coast left-winger Bazoumana Toure, as well as goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek among several signings as the Saudi-owned club target younger recruits.
Newcastle host Liverpool in their Premier League opener on Sunday.
Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Meanwhile, Zion Suzuki has had to overcome costly mistakes and racist abuse on the way to becoming the most expensive Japanese goalkeeper in history.
Advertisement
The 23-year-old will be the first Japanese goalkeeper to play in the Premier League when he seals his move to Aston Villa from Italian team Parma for up to €35 million.
He is set to sign a five-year contract, The Athletic said, with current Villa number one Emiliano Martínez possibly leaving.
Suzuki, who was previously linked with Manchester United, was born in New Jersey to a Ghanaian father and Japanese mother and moved to Japan at a young age.
After coming through Japanese football, he moved to Belgium, then Italy and has already won 28 caps for his country.
Suzuki, who appeared set to join Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain before Villa came calling, believes he has the tools to make it in the Premier League.
“Of course big saves are important but above all I want to become a goalkeeper who brings stability to the team,” Suzuki told Fifa’s website ahead of the World Cup, where he played a central role in Japan reaching the last 32.
“Doing the simple things well consistently. Playing with the determination not to concede.”
Suzuki rose through the ranks at J. League side Urawa Reds and made his international debut after only a handful of appearances for his club.
He moved to Belgian side Sint-Truiden in 2023 despite reported interest from United, reasoning that he wanted to get more experience as a first choice.
He was handed Japan’s number one jersey for the Asian Cup in January 2024 but turned in a series of blundering performances before they were eliminated in the quarter-finals.
The young stopper suffered online racial abuse after a group-stage defeat to Iraq.
Suzuki said of the abuse: “I’m not about to let it beat me.
“I want to come back at them by producing good results.”
- Mental strength -
Suzuki continued as Japan’s number one after the Asian Cup and gradually built up his reputation.
He moved to Parma in 2024 to become the first Japanese goalkeeper to play in Italy’s Serie A.
His teammates called him “animale” because of his muscular 6ft 3ins frame.
Suzuki broke his hand in late 2025 but returned in time for this summer’s World Cup and excelled as Japan progressed from a group that also included the Netherlands, Tunisia and Sweden.
He again impressed against Brazil in the last 32 but could not prevent his team from going out 2-1 after conceding a 95th-minute winner to Gabriel Martinelli.
His imminent transfer to Villa means he will become only the second Japanese goalkeeper to play in English professional football, following Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi’s short stint with second-tier Portsmouth in the early 2000s.
Suzuki, whose first language is Japanese but speaks English, says he learnt from his early shortcomings.
“At the beginning I made a series of mistakes and showed my inexperience as Japan’s first-choice goalkeeper,” he told Fifa’s website.
“Now I feel I can bring a sense of stability to the team through my mentality.”
Speaking as his reputation grew in Serie A, Suzuki said he aimed to be the best goalkeeper in the world.
“I want to be the best both as an individual and as a team, winning titles like the Champions League and World Cup,” he said.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
Newcastle sign Benfica star for €35 million, Japan goalkeeper set to join Villa
NEWCASTLE UNITED SAID on Tuesday they had signed Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Amar Dedic from Portuguese side Benfica for a fee reported to be £30 million (€35.09 million).
The 24-year-old Austria-born Dedic, who started three of his country’s matches at the World Cup this year, signed a five-year contract.
The right-back will be reunited with Newcastle’s new manager Matthias Jaissle, with whom he won the Austrian title at Red Bull Salzburg in 2023.
Dedic joined Red Bull Salzburg in 2019 and played for the feeder club Liefering, where he first worked with Jaissle.
He spent time on loan at Austrian side Wolfsberger and French club Marseille before joining Benfica on a permanent deal.
He has won 31 caps for Bosnia.
Newcastle have had a difficult summer, losing Anthony Gordon to Barcelona, Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali to Tottenham and Bruno Guimaraes to Arsenal.
Highly regarded manager Eddie Howe also left after five years in charge.
They have brought in defensive midfielder Aladji Bamba and Ivory Coast left-winger Bazoumana Toure, as well as goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek among several signings as the Saudi-owned club target younger recruits.
Newcastle host Liverpool in their Premier League opener on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Zion Suzuki has had to overcome costly mistakes and racist abuse on the way to becoming the most expensive Japanese goalkeeper in history.
The 23-year-old will be the first Japanese goalkeeper to play in the Premier League when he seals his move to Aston Villa from Italian team Parma for up to €35 million.
He is set to sign a five-year contract, The Athletic said, with current Villa number one Emiliano Martínez possibly leaving.
Suzuki, who was previously linked with Manchester United, was born in New Jersey to a Ghanaian father and Japanese mother and moved to Japan at a young age.
After coming through Japanese football, he moved to Belgium, then Italy and has already won 28 caps for his country.
Suzuki, who appeared set to join Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain before Villa came calling, believes he has the tools to make it in the Premier League.
“Of course big saves are important but above all I want to become a goalkeeper who brings stability to the team,” Suzuki told Fifa’s website ahead of the World Cup, where he played a central role in Japan reaching the last 32.
“Doing the simple things well consistently. Playing with the determination not to concede.”
Suzuki rose through the ranks at J. League side Urawa Reds and made his international debut after only a handful of appearances for his club.
He moved to Belgian side Sint-Truiden in 2023 despite reported interest from United, reasoning that he wanted to get more experience as a first choice.
He was handed Japan’s number one jersey for the Asian Cup in January 2024 but turned in a series of blundering performances before they were eliminated in the quarter-finals.
The young stopper suffered online racial abuse after a group-stage defeat to Iraq.
Suzuki said of the abuse: “I’m not about to let it beat me.
“I want to come back at them by producing good results.”
- Mental strength -
Suzuki continued as Japan’s number one after the Asian Cup and gradually built up his reputation.
He moved to Parma in 2024 to become the first Japanese goalkeeper to play in Italy’s Serie A.
His teammates called him “animale” because of his muscular 6ft 3ins frame.
Suzuki broke his hand in late 2025 but returned in time for this summer’s World Cup and excelled as Japan progressed from a group that also included the Netherlands, Tunisia and Sweden.
He again impressed against Brazil in the last 32 but could not prevent his team from going out 2-1 after conceding a 95th-minute winner to Gabriel Martinelli.
His imminent transfer to Villa means he will become only the second Japanese goalkeeper to play in English professional football, following Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi’s short stint with second-tier Portsmouth in the early 2000s.
Suzuki, whose first language is Japanese but speaks English, says he learnt from his early shortcomings.
“At the beginning I made a series of mistakes and showed my inexperience as Japan’s first-choice goalkeeper,” he told Fifa’s website.
“Now I feel I can bring a sense of stability to the team through my mentality.”
Speaking as his reputation grew in Serie A, Suzuki said he aimed to be the best goalkeeper in the world.
“I want to be the best both as an individual and as a team, winning titles like the Champions League and World Cup,” he said.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Amar Dedic EPL Premier League Soccer Newcastle United Transfer News