Newcastle United Sign Goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek for €30.6m

Newcastle United have made a major move for their future between the posts, completing the signing of highly rated goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek from SC Braga in a deal worth €30.578 million.

The 22-year-old Czech international has signed a five-year contract, tying him to St. James’ Park until June 2031, and was unveiled this morning as the club’s latest addition.

“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. It's a brilliant opportunity in a new league, which I'm very excited about,” he said after completing the move.

The welcome on Tyneside clearly struck him immediately.

“From the very first moment I arrived here, I received a fantastic welcome and really felt the warmth of the club. Everyone has been brilliant in helping me settle in.

“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.”

For Newcastle, this is not a speculative punt. It is a carefully targeted investment in a goalkeeper who has already shouldered serious responsibility at senior level.

Hornicek joined SC Braga from FK Pardubice’s youth system ahead of the 2019/20 season, arriving in Portugal as a teenager and working his way through the club’s academy structure. He made his first-team debut in the 2021/22 campaign and did not look back.

From that breakthrough, he grew into a key figure at the Minho club, racking up 88 appearances in all competitions and establishing himself as one of the most promising young goalkeepers in the Portuguese game.

Now his next step is into the intensity of English football, under the lights and expectation of St. James’ Park, with a long contract and a hefty fee underlining exactly how much Newcastle believe he can handle it.