Czech Republic goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek
Czech goalkeeper’s £25.7m arrival signals intent — but questions remain over direction at a club without a manager
By Martin Weche
Newcastle United on Monday completed the signing of Czech Republic goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek from Portuguese club Braga on a five-year contract, activating his £25.7 million release clause to make the 24-year-old the club’s fifth summer addition.
The capture of Hornicek, who kept seven clean sheets during Braga’s run to the Europa League semi-finals last season — the highest tally of any goalkeeper in the competition — addresses what had been the most pressing gap in Newcastle’s rebuild: a commanding, experienced presence between the posts. He is expected to immediately displace Nick Pope as first-choice goalkeeper ahead of the new Premier League season, which gets under way for the Magpies at home to Liverpool on August 23.
For Hornicek, the move represents a significant leap — from a mid-table Portuguese club chasing European glory to one of English football’s most storied grounds. He made no attempt to disguise his excitement. “The last few days have been an emotional rollercoaster from when I first heard about the move and now I’m so happy to be here,” he said. “I know Newcastle is a huge football city, with 52,000 fans at St James’ Park creating an incredible atmosphere and pushing the team every game. I can’t wait to play in front of them.”
That warmth of feeling appears mutual. Sporting director Ross Wilson said Hornicek’s progress in recent years had been remarkable, noting that it quickly became evident how keen the goalkeeper was to be part of what the club is building. Wilson went further, describing Hornicek as having “firmly established himself as one of Europe’s top young goalkeepers.”
The numbers support the billing. According to Opta data, Hornicek ranked second among Primeira Liga goalkeepers for successful passes — 846 in total — and fourth for passing accuracy at 75 per cent, attributes that suit a Newcastle side which, under whichever manager eventually takes charge, is expected to continue playing out from the back. At 198 centimetres, he also commands his area with authority — a quality that had begun to look conspicuously absent from St James’ Park.
The signing is the clearest statement yet that despite the turbulence engulfing the club, Newcastle’s hierarchy remains committed to forward momentum. Yet the backdrop is difficult to ignore. The club confirmed last Friday the departure of Eddie Howe, who stepped down with immediate effect after five years in charge, leaving the squad to prepare for a new season without a head coach in place. Swiss tactician Matthias Jaissle has emerged as a leading candidate to fill the vacancy, though no appointment had been confirmed at the time of writing.
The summer has been one of considerable upheaval beyond the dugout. Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali has moved to Tottenham Hotspur, England forward Anthony Gordon has departed for Barcelona, and captain Bruno Guimarães — arguably the most influential player at the club — remains heavily linked with a move to Premier League champions Arsenal. The Magpies finished 12th in the top flight last season, a placing that satisfied nobody and accelerated the rethink now visibly underway.
Into all of this uncertainty steps Hornicek, a young goalkeeper of considerable promise who, tellingly, had earlier this summer rejected an approach from Hull City to hold out for a more ambitious destination. That decision, with the benefit of hindsight, looks a sound one. Newcastle, for all their present disarray, remain a club with Saudi-backed resources, a passionate and enormous fanbase, and real ambitions of returning to European competition. Hornicek becomes the fifth player signed this summer, following Ewen Jaouen, Bazoumana Touré, Sean Steur and Aladji Bamba, with total summer expenditure now surpassing £150 million.
Whether a club without a manager can translate that investment into a coherent, competitive season remains the central question on Tyneside — and one that neither a five-year contract nor a £25.7 million release clause can answer on its own.
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