Benfica

Newcastle United have signed defender Amar Dedic from Benfica for about £30m.

Dedic has joined the club on a five-year deal after having a medical on Tyneside on Monday.

He has reunited with manager Matthias Jaissle, with whom he previously won the Austrian title at Red Bull Salzburg in 2023.

“It’s a special feeling and a really big honour for me to join Newcastle United,” he said after the move was announced on Tuesday, his 24th birthday.

“I’m really happy to be here and can’t wait to start playing for the club and the amazing fans.

“Working with Matthias again was a big factor for me. We know each other well. He knows what I can bring on the pitch and I’m really happy to be playing for him again.

“Playing Premier League football at St James’ Park is going to be really special. Every game feels like a big occasion, with an amazing atmosphere. I’m really excited to get started.”

Newcastle had been in the market for a new right-back following the departure of veteran Kieran Trippier, who joined Wolves on a free transfer when his contract expired earlier this summer.

Dedic could quickly be called upon to feature in Newcastle‘s season opener at home to Liverpool on Sunday as Tino Livramento is still recovering from a calf injury he sustained on international duty with England in June.

Jaissle said he was “really looking forward” to working with the defender again.

“He’s a player who I know really well, having worked with him from a young age in Austria and followed his career since,” he said.

“He will bring both defensive and attacking qualities to our squad, which suits the style of football that we want to play.

“He’s athletic, aggressive and technically very good, but also has a lot of potential to develop further.”

Former Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran has joined Benfica on a season-long loan from Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr.

The Portuguese giants will be the seventh club of Duran’s career at the age of just 22, following recent stints with Fenerbahce and Zenit St Petersburg.

Benfica will pay a £5.19m (6.1m euros) loan fee for the Colombia international with the option to make the move permanent for £25.5m (30m euros) at the end of the 2026-27 season.

“I am happy! I continue to say that it is the biggest club in Portugal. I am very grateful to be here,” said Duran.

“I have very high expectations of being here. I want to play well, give my all and become champion.”

Duran began his professional career with Colombian side Envigado in 2019 before earning a move to MLS team Chicago Fire in 2022.

He was on the move again in January 2023 when he joined Aston Villa for £14m and quickly became a fan favourite.

A move to West Ham fell through in the summer of 2024, but after scoring a famous winner for Villa against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Duran was sold to Al-Nassr for £71m in January 2025.

Despite scoring eight goals in 13 games for the Saudi Arabian side, he stayed for only half a season before moving to Fenerbahce on loan.

But manager Jose Mourinho was sacked less than a month after Duran made his debut and the loan was cancelled in February 2026 so he could join Zenit.

After bagging three goals in nine games in Russia, Duran now has the chance to make a home at Benfica, his seventh club in the seventh country of his young career.

Marco Silva has agreed to become Benfica’s new head coach as the Portuguese club formalised Jose Mourinho’s departure for Real Madrid.

Silva, 48, ended his five-year stint as Fulham boss a week ago when his contract at Craven Cottage expired.

Benfica said they had “reached an agreement” with Silva who is set to sign a contract until the end of the 2027-28 season which can be extended to 2028-29.

Fulham were Silva’s fourth English club after spells in charge of Hull City, Watford and Everton.

Mourinho’s exit from Estadio da Luz was also announced, with Benfica saying Real Madrid will pay them £13m (15m euros) in compensation to bring the 63-year-old back to the Bernabeu.

“The coach [Mourinho] has given his agreement to this hiring,” added a Benfica statement.

“Thus ended Jose Mourinho’s second spell as manager of Benfica’s professional football team.”

Mourinho took charge of Benfica in September and led them to third place in the Primeira Liga this season as they went through the league campaign unbeaten.

In his previous spell in charge of Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, the Portuguese won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup.

Benfica are looking to appoint a successor to Jose Mourinho, who has left the club and signed a three-year deal to become Real Madrid’s new head coach.

Mourinho, 63, took over at Benfica for a second spell in September and led them to third place in the Primeira Liga.

Silva joined Fulham in July 2021 from Everton and guided them back to the Premier League in his first season, following the club’s relegation to the Championship a year earlier.

The Cottagers finished 11th in the top flight last season, level on 52 points with Chelsea.