Newcastle United
have completed the £25.7m signing of goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek from Braga.
Although Newcastle had already
signed 20-year-old Ewen Jaouen from Reims this summer, the club were still seeking a more established first-choice keeper.
Hornicek, 24, travelled to Newcastle‘s training camp in Spain over the weekend to complete the move and sign a five-year deal after his release clause was activated.
“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,” the Czech Republic international said.
“It’s a brilliant opportunity in a new league, which I’m very excited about. 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.”
Newcastle had monitored Hornicek as he recorded seven clean sheets during Braga’s run to last season’s Europa League semi-finals — the most by any goalkeeper in the competition.
Opta data also showed he ranked second for successful passes (846) and fourth for pass accuracy (75%) among goalkeepers in Portugal’s top flight last season.
Newcastle sporting director Ross Wilson said the 24-year-old’s “progress in recent years has been remarkable”.
“He has firmly established himself as one of Europe’s top young goalkeepers,” Wilson said.
“We knew there would be no shortage of clubs interested in acquiring Lukas this summer after everything he achieved last season, but it quickly became evident how keen he was to be a part of what we are building here.”