Newcastle United paid slightly more than Lukas Hornicek's release clause to secure the Czech goalkeeper as part of their summer rebuild, Braga president Antonio Salvador has revealed.
Speaking at the Portugal Football Summit, Salvador confirmed the Magpies paid €30.57m for the shot-stopper, whose release clause stood at €30m. The deal was concluded just before new head coach Matthias Jaissle's arrival at St James' Park.
Transfer background
Newcastle had been linked with several goalkeepers during the summer, including James Trafford, Robin Risser, Zion Suzuki and Carl Rushworth. However, they turned to Hornicek after refusing to meet the £40m release clause Manchester City wanted for Trafford, who eventually joined Leeds United.
Salvador said of the deal: “We believed Hornicek could stay this year, but he had a release clause and there was a club - Newcastle - who actually paid more. They paid €30.57m when the clause was €30m. It was a good deal for the club and for the player, who also had the ambition of playing in the English league.”
Player's perspective
Hornicek had been linked with Bayern Munich and Real Madrid before joining Newcastle, but said he was unaware of the interest from such clubs. “When I saw it on social media, I was surprised myself. I had no idea about the interest of such clubs. It was more about speculation,” he said.
“I’ve had several offers. Newcastle actually joined last, but they immediately outlined the project to me. They told me what they expected from me and promised the role of No 1. Plus, they acted very quickly, and there was no problem even with the money Braga wanted for me. I didn’t hesitate for a minute.”
Early impact
Hornicek has made six appearances for Newcastle so far, keeping clean sheets against Tottenham and Millwall and making several important saves.
