Chelsea poised to battle Newcastle, Roma, for classy Champions League defender Mourinho loves | OneFootball

Chelsea, Newcastle and Roma linked RB Salzburg defender Amar Dedic

Chelsea are facing competition from Newcastle and Jose Mourinho’s Roma for Red Bull Salzburg wonderkid Amar Dedic, according to reports.

The 21-year-old right-back has impressed for the Austrian giants this season, netting five goals and making three assists so far.

Dedic’s performances have caught the attention of many top clubs across Europe, with Arsenal, Barcelona and Inter Milan also in the race for his signature.

According to The Sun, Chelsea have sent a scout to watch all of Dedic’s Champions League matches this term, as well as his Euro 2024 qualifiers for Bosnia.

The Blues are looking to bring in a new right-back in January to provide cover for club captain Reece James, who picked up yet another injury last week.

James will be sidelined for the foreseeable future and could even require surgery to fix his persistent hamstring problems.

Chelsea also have a long history of bringing in young players with top potential and Dedic certainly fits into that category.

Newcastle have been keeping a close eye on Dedic, too, with their scouts in attendance for a handful of Salzburg matches this tern.

It’s thought that the Magpies are keen on the Bosnian because he has the ability to play as a right-back and left-back and could thus provide cover in both positions.

Dan Burn is currently sidelined with a back injury, while Kieran Trippier is currently going through an uncharacteristically poor run of form.

With that in mind, Dedic could be exactly the kind of player Eddie Howe needs to strengthen his squad as he eyes a top four finish.

Roma attempted to sign Dedic last summer, submitting a £21.5m bid due to Mourinho’s admiration for the defender.

Salzburg quickly rejected the offer, but the Serie A side are still hoping to lure Dedic the Italian capital as long as Mourinho is set to remain in post next season.

Dedic is under contract until 2027, so it’s likely that a sizeable bid will be required to secure his services.

It will be interesting to see if Chelsea, Newcastle or Roma make a concrete offer for the dynamic defender in the New Year.

As mentioned, though, Arsenal, Barcelona or Inter Milan could also join the race for Dedic as he continues to impress in Austria.