Czech goalkeeper Horníček close to record-breaking move to Newcastle

Czech goalkeeper Matěj Horníček has been given the green light by his club, Braga, to travel for a medical ahead of a move to Newcastle United. According to reports, the 24-year-old Czech international could become the most expensive goalkeeper in Czech football history and the third-most expensive Czech player ever sold.

Only two Czech footballers have commanded higher transfer fees: Pavel Nedvěd, who moved from Lazio to Juventus in 2001 for €45 million, and Patrik Schick, who left Sampdoria for Roma in 2017 for €42 million.

Horníček has been with Braga since 2019, joining initially on loan from Pardubice before the Portuguese club made the move permanent. Last season proved to be his best yet: he kept 12 clean sheets in the Portuguese league and added another 11 in the Europa League, where Braga reached the semi-finals.

Horníček was part of the Czech national team squad at the World Cup but never took to the pitch. His only senior cap so far came in a friendly against Kosovo.

At Newcastle, the goalkeeper is being lined up as the frontrunner to become the club's new number one, a role previously held by former England international Nick Pope. Should the deal go through, Horníček would become the club's fifth signing of the summer, pushing Newcastle's total transfer spending this window to £140 million (roughly 2.95 billion Czech crowns). Earlier in June, the club had already signed 20-year-old French goalkeeper Eywen Jajouenne from Reims.

Meanwhile, Newcastle themselves — who finished 12th in the Premier League last season — parted ways with head coach Eddie Howe today after nearly five years in charge. British media suggest his successor could be German coach Matthias Jaissle, currently at Saudi club Al-Ahli.

Around Prague, based on reporting by sport.cz