Newcastle complete £30m move for Benfica's Dedic

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.”

Dedic has already experienced what it is like to play at St James’ Park.

The defender was part of the Benfica side thumped 3-0 by Newcastle in the Champions League last season, so he will be hoping for a much happier experience if he lines up against Liverpool on Sunday.

Dedic is one of Newcastle’s oldest signings this summer – which is saying something – and only the second over the age of 20, alongside goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek.

The defender has never played in the Premier League before and, like all of Newcastle’s six arrivals, he will need time to adapt to the intensity and physicality of the top-flight.

But Newcastle sporting director Ross Wilson has already noted how Dedic is “incredibly hungry” to prove himself.

Dedic, crucially, already knows what Jaissle demands and expects from his full-backs, so it is likely the head coach will not think twice about throwing him in at the weekend, even after just a handful of training sessions with his new team-mates.

He certainly has the engine to get up and down the pitch.

Although Dedic only made 24 appearances in Portugal’s Primeira Liga last season, he ranked second for full-backs for carries into the attacking third (49) and third for progressive carries (202) and total carries (325).

His ability to also offer cover at left-back will be invaluable, but Newcastle clearly need further reinforcements before the window shuts on 1 September.

Stockport sign Man Utd winger Ennis

Ennis scored six goals in 46 appearances for Fleetwood Town in all competitions last season

Stockport County have signed Manchester United winger Ethan Ennis for an undisclosed fee on a three-year deal.

The 21-year-old scored three times in 39 League Two appearances on loan at Fleetwood last season.

He could make his debut for the Hatters against Blackpool on Saturday.

“Ethan was initially made available to us on a loan basis so to be able to turn that into a permanent deal feels like a real coup for the club,” Stockport’s head of recruitment Jonathan Smith told the club website.

Cagliari's Trepy in intensive care after reported pool incident

Cagliari striker Yael Trepy is in intensive care in hospital after he reportedly lost consciousness in a swimming pool in Sardinia.

On Monday, Cagliari released a statement to say the 20-year-old is being treated at Santissima Annunziata Civil Hospital in Sassari.

Sardinian newspaper Unione Sarda reported that Trepy was airlifted to hospital after the incident at a villa on Sunday afternoon.

“The club is in constant contact with the healthcare facility and the player’s family and is closely monitoring the progress of his condition,” said Cagliari.

“At this time, Cagliari Calcio’s thoughts are with Yael and his family. The club also requests the utmost respect for their privacy and will provide any updates when available.”

Cagliari players had the weekend off after they beat Arezzo 1-0 in the Coppa Italia on Friday, in which Trepy played 54 minutes.

Trepy scored once in eight Serie A appearances last season after being a Cagliari youth player.

He joined the club’s academy in 2022, having started his youth career with Parisian side US Creteil-Lusitanos.

BBC Sport has contacted Cagliari for comment.

From Chelsea bomb squad to new chapter at Como for Chalobah

Trevoh Chalobah ended his near 20-year association with Chelsea by joining Como 1907 this summer, but his journey through his boyhood club taught him one thing above all - resilience.

You only need to look at the England defender’s career to see how the 27-year-old managed to fulfill his dream of playing for Chelsea while also overcoming plenty of setbacks.

He went from crying in the car because he did not feel good enough while playing alongside Mason Mount and Declan Rice during his childhood at the Cobham academy, to being left out of first-team training as a member of the so-called “bomb squad” under former boss Enzo Maresca in 2024, before being made available for transfer and sent out on loan.

Each time, Chalobah bounced back to become a regular starter for Chelsea.

He was recalled from a loan spell at Crystal Palace in January 2025 and ultimately made 151 appearances for the Blues before completing a £31m move to Italy to join Serie A side Como under manager Cesc Fabregas last week.

Chalobah was brought in to provide leadership and demonstrate what he believes is his footballing superpower - being “very, very resilient”.

“That’s one of my attributes and one of my skills that I have, bouncing back from things and not allowing anything to get to me,” Chalobah reflects from Como’s pre-season camp in Teddington in south west London.

“Not just in football, in life, things are going to happen which are sometimes out of your hands and out of your control.”

It was the change in ownership in 2022 from Roman Abramovich to Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital which saw almost every player sold and new ones signed in a chaotic first two years.

There is no sense of bitterness or regret as Chalobah achieved his highest total of appearances for Chelsea in a single season last term with 47 before leaving his boyhood club.

“I always wanted to play for Chelsea no matter what the circumstances were, I always believed that I could do it,” Chalobah continued.

“I’m grateful for every setback, every challenge, every trophy I’ve won. I’ve won a few things there and it’s a club where I’ve improved and I’ve learned a lot.”

“Stepping in as a young boy and then leaving as a man, I’m really happy with my career there. I will always keep the blue flag flying. I’ll be supporting them, I’ll be watching them this season and they’ll always be in my heart.”

This is not Chalobah’s first spell with a club overseas, having spent part of the 2020-21 campaign on loan with Lorient in the French top flight.

It was there that he emulated his older brother Nathaniel, who played for Napoli, by taking the less-trodden path of moving to Europe as an English player, a route that has since become more commonplace.

The younger Chalobah says it was “not a coincidence” that Tuchel, whom he had faced while at Lorient after the German joined Paris St-Germain, picked him out and gave him his Chelsea debut.

Five years later, Tuchel promised him that if a defender dropped out of England’s World Cup squad, Chalobah would be first in line for a call-up.

While on holiday in New York, Chalobah received the call to join Tuchel’s squad at his first World Cup in place of the injured Tino Livramento.

“The story’s already written before I was born,” Chalobah said.

“He’s the one that gave me my debut for Chelsea and he’s the same manager that called me up for the World Cup last minute.”

“I think certain things are meant to happen and I’m grateful for that. Obviously all thanks to him and I’m really happy.”

The tournament ended in a semi-final defeat by Argentina before the team secured the bronze medal with a 6-4 victory over France in their final match.

“No one wants to come third. You’re just one step away from the final,” he said.

“It was definitely hard for the players. It did hit us for a couple of days. You know how hard the boys worked, how they believed that we could win it.”

“And yeah, we were so close. But we learn from this and be proud of what we’ve done and achieved.”

It is now another manager with whom Chalobah’s destiny intertwines.

Fabregas was one of Chelsea’s stars when Chalobah was in the academy and taking part in training sessions with the first-team squad.

“I remember how demanding he was with the younger players. So yeah, I know him really well,” Chalobah explained, recalling those early sessions.

Fabregas has overseen Como’s remarkable rise from Serie B to the Champions League in just two seasons and convinced Chalobah to join amid interest from Inter Milan.

“He was a massive part,” Chalobah added. “He explained what he wanted, the way he sees the club and how he sees me fitting into this club and how I can help - having a lot of experience, physicality as well, the leadership.”

“It wasn’t an overnight thing, it was a very thoughtful and hard decision. But I thought, as I said, the trajectory of this club and the direction it’s going in, and speaking to the manager, and wanting to be part of this story.”

“I’m really excited for this new chapter in my beautiful story that I’ve had so far.”

Man City in advanced talks for £85m Bouaddi, 18

Ayyoub Bouaddi started five of Morocco’s six games at the World Cup

Manchester City are in advanced talks with Lille over a move for Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi.

The Premier League side want to conclude the transfer this week after agreeing to sell Rodri to Barcelona.

It is understood Lille value the 18-year-old at 100 million euros (£85.6m).

Bouaddi impressed at this summer’s World Cup - starting five of Morocco’s six matches in their run to the quarter-finals - after a starring role in Lille’s Champions League victory over Real Madrid in 2024 announced him on the big stage.

He functions as a deep-lying conductor and would complement summer signing Elliot Anderson, who is comfortable as a box-to-box midfielder as well as the number six role he plays for England.

Bouaddi has played 88 times for Lille since making his debut in October 2023, three days after his 16th birthday, and helped them finish third in Ligue 1 last season.

Spain captain Rodri is set to complete a £65m move to Barcelona in the coming days on a four-year contract.

The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner has made 298 appearances across seven trophy-laden seasons at City after joining from Atletico Madrid in 2019 for a then club record £62.8m.

The 30-year-old missed much of the 2024-25 campaign with a serious knee injury, and parts of last season were disrupted by a hamstring issue.

However, he was back to his best at the World Cup in the summer, leading Spain to their second global title and being named player of the tournament.

It remains to be seen if a successful move for Bouaddi would impact City’s interest in Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez, but well-placed sources maintain that manager Enzo Maresca retains a strong interest in the Argentina midfielder.