Official! Benfica target heads to the Premier League for over €30m

Lukas Hornícek’s transfer to Newcastle has been confirmed. The goalkeeper is leaving Braga for the Premier League, having signed a contract valid for the next five seasons. The player was on Benfica’s radar, but the club never made an official offer amid Newcastle’s interest, as first reported by Glorioso 1904.

The deal was made official by both clubs and represents a fee of €30.578 million for Braga. In the statement sent to the Portuguese Securities Market Commission (CMVM), Braga also revealed that it will pay intermediation costs corresponding to 6.5% of the transfer fee, which amounts to around €1.99 million.

With this move, Hornícek becomes the second most expensive goalkeeper ever to leave Portuguese football, behind only Ederson, who swapped Benfica for Manchester City for €40 million. The transfer also joins the list of the biggest sales in Braga’s history, taking fourth place. Only Vitinha and Roger, both sold for €32 million, and Francisco Trincão, transferred for €30.94 million, brought in more for the Minho club.

Now as a Newcastle player, the goalkeeper did not hide his excitement about starting a new stage of his career: "The last few days have been a real rollercoaster of emotions. From the moment I found out about the transfer until now, I’m very happy to be here. It’s a fantastic opportunity in a new league, something that really excites me," he told the English club’s official media.

Hornícek also highlighted the way he was welcomed in England and said he is eager to play at St James’ Park: "From the very first moment, I felt really welcome. Everyone has been incredible in helping me settle in. I know Newcastle is a city passionate about football, with 52,000 fans creating a fantastic atmosphere. I can’t wait to play in front of them," he added.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.