Marco Silva gutted as Amar Dedic completes €35m Newcastle United move

Benfica manager Marco Silva has made it clear that Amar Dedic's €35m (£30.3m) move to Newcastle United was a transfer the Portuguese club did not want from a sporting perspective.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina international has completed his switch to St James' Park, but Silva has now stressed that Benfica's decision to accept the deal should not be interpreted as the club being happy to lose the defender.

Speaking ahead of Benfica's Europa League qualifier against Aarhus, the former Fulham manager insisted that Dedic was wanted by both himself and the wider club.

Silva had already expressed his reluctance to lose Dedic before Newcastle completed the transfer.

He has now clarified those comments after some interpreted his previous use of "we" as potentially referring only to his own coaching staff.

"We didn't want to lose Dedic – not just me," Silva told A Bola.

"There are people who complicate things. It seems that sometimes 'we' is different from 'I'."

His comments underline just how highly Dedic was regarded at Benfica.

The defender was considered an important part of Silva's squad, but Newcastle's €35m proposal ultimately created a financial decision for Benfica's hierarchy.

For Newcastle, Silva's comments provide further encouragement about the player they have brought to St James' Park.

The Magpies have not simply signed a defender Benfica were looking to move on. Instead, they have taken a player his manager had hoped would remain part of the squad.

Silva acknowledged that the financial side of transfers is outside his responsibilities and suggested Dedic's departure was ultimately a club-level decision.

"The financial part isn't something I have to comment on," he explained.

Dedic's departure also forms part of wider changes to Benfica's defensive options, with Silva confirming that other players from the back line have left during the window.

Further forward, however, Benfica have managed to retain players the manager considered particularly important.

Dedic's exit means Silva must now adapt his defence without a player he clearly valued.

The €35m (£30.3m) Newcastle paid was enough for Benfica to sanction the transfer despite the sporting preference to keep the Bosnia and Herzegovina international.

That distinction is important.

Benfica were willing to sell at the right financial level, but Silva's repeated comments indicate Dedic was not viewed as surplus to requirements.

Newcastle have therefore secured a player who leaves his former manager disappointed to see him go, which should only increase expectations surrounding his arrival at St James' Park.

Dedic can now focus on establishing himself at Newcastle while Silva reorganises a Benfica defence that has lost several players this summer.

For the Magpies, the strength of Silva's reaction is a promising endorsement. Newcastle have paid significant money, but they have acquired a defender Benfica genuinely wanted to keep rather than one they were actively trying to sell.

How big an impact do you think Amar Dedic can make at Newcastle United this season? Have your say.