Newcastle United on Monday confirmed the signing of their newest goalkeeper, Lukas Hornicek, who has joined from SC Braga for £25.7M.
The 24-year-old, who has been regarded as one of the best young goalkeepers in Europe, has signed a five-year contract.
The Magpies were quick to get this done, activating his release clause, with a first-team goalkeeper on Newcastle's list of positions to fill this summer.
A new number one was a priority for the Magpies
The goalkeeping position was at the heart of Newcastle losing points at home and away, with Nick Pope making a handful of errors that led to goals and with loan signing Aaron Ramsdale not making much of an impression either.
A stat first reported by BBC Sport stated that Newcastle only had eight clean sheets in the Premier League last season and conceded 55 goals in the League last season, ranking 15th overall with the likes of relegated Burnley, West Ham and Wolves, not to mention Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur just below them.
Now the club did sign Ewen Jaouen, but given he is only 20 years old, he is merely seen as a backup and a long-term prospect who the club will help develop over the course of his period on Tyneside.
Lukas Hornicek's season at Braga
In Braga's run to the Europa League semi-final, Hornicek kept seven clean sheets, and data tracked from Opta sees the 24-year-old ranked second for successful passes, making it 846 and fourth for passing accuracy, which comes in at 75%.
His shot-stopping ability needs fine-tuning, as he can be prone to spilling shots into dangerous areas, something that plagued Newcastle for much of last season.
However, his commanding presence in the box, along with his height (6ft6), will be helpful at set pieces, and his comfort level using the ball with his feet to play out possession will be of use for Newcastle, who struggled to do that with Pope.
The Premier League will prove to be a different test for his mental strength, and he is still inexperienced at a senior level, having had only a full season as the starting goalkeeper, so the key for Newcastle is making the transition simple for him and aiding his development as he adapts to the League.
Nick Pope being phased out
Pope's time at Newcastle is over, having joined the club in 2022 for a fee of £10M, and his first couple of seasons at the club went smoothly, but after a shoulder injury in a 1-0 victory against Manchester United on December 2 2023, he wasn't the same player.
Over the last 12 months, Pope has been making errors and has lacked confidence in between the sticks, and his distribution hasn't helped Newcastle in their build-up play.
It's forced Newcastle into a position where they had to go and search for a permanent number one. What it means for Pope is that he's out of the club.
If offers come in, which reportedly include the likes of Ipswich Town and Leeds United, the Magpies will likely entertain them and make Jaouen their number two.
Pope has had great years at the club, but there is no denying that he has dropped off and looked a shell of the player that he was when he first arrived on Tyneside. He'll be of great experience anywhere else, but for Newcastle and their ongoing rebuild, they will have to let him go.
