Newcastle United officially respond as Ross Wilson ready to strike £30m deal
Newcastle United have shortlisted Benfica defender Amar Dedic to fill the the right-back void.
Matthias Jaissle stayed coy on whether Newcastle United are interested in Benfica right-back Amar Dedic.
Full-back has become a top priority for the Magpies after losing Kieran Trippier, Emil Krafth and Matt Targett. Injury concerns to Tino Livramento also push the need for defensive reinforcements further up the shopping list.
Newcastle are understood to be interested in Dedic - valued at £30million. Jaissle managed the 23-year-old during their time together at Red Bull Salzburg.
Dedic is one of several targets weighed up for the position. Capable of playing on either flank, he ticks a lot of boxes for the Toon hierarchy.
Matthias Jaissle responds to cheeky question
When NewcastleWorld cheekily asked if Dedic is a transfer target, Jaissle paused, smiled… before deflecting the question. He said: “Also there, I will be always consistent. You can now ask many, many names, and I heard already on social media many names linked to us. But I will not be part of those rumours, so you will not get any... any answers towards names.”
‘You’re smart enough’ - Matthias Jaissle
Jaissle also insisted Newcastle know what they need in the transfer market. He is not prepared to share the information with the media - but put the onus on sporting director Ross Wilson to deliver.
“You all see the matches,” Jaissle added. “You're also smart enough to see the needs in the squad. I will always be consistent with my approach. We handle these things internally.
“We are aware of what we need. And there, as you know, there's still some time. It's not a wish concert. Not in football, not in life. But again, internally we're really clear.
“I will not tell you here publicly. Like I said that already, we handle these things internally with all the respect to the decision makers. And we will always continue like that.”