Lukáš Horníček reveals Newcastle promise and responds to Real Madrid links
Lukáš Horníček has revealed that Newcastle promised him the No. 1 role when convincing him to make the move from Braga this summer.
Speaking in Wednesday’s interview with Sport.cz, the Czech goalkeeper explained that Newcastle were the last club to enter the picture, but quickly made their intentions clear.
"I received numerous offers, and Newcastle was the last club to join in. They explained the project to me and told me what they expect from me, and they promised me a starting role in the lineup.
They moved with great speed, and there was no issue regarding the amount requested by Braga. I didn't hesitate for a moment in moving to Newcastle."
Newcastle moved swiftly, with Horníček saying there were no difficulties over the money Braga wanted. Once the plan was explained, he had no hesitation about signing.
Real Madrid links surprised Horníček
The 24-year-old also addressed links with Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Inter, saying he was surprised to see them on social media and had been unaware of their supposed interest.
He described those reports as speculation, rather than offers he had turned down.
Newcastle’s backing has since been followed by public praise from Matthias Jaissle, who described Horníček as an “amazing signing” earlier this month and highlighted the confidence his calmness gives the players around him.
Horníček also feels Newcastle cannot be satisfied with eight points, highlighting late points dropped and the need for greater consistency.
A solid start, but we need to give him less to do
I think he’s looked good so far. He’s been solid and made plenty of decent saves, although I was expecting a little more from his distribution.
That’s not to say it’s been bad, but with the ball at his feet he’s closer to Pope than Ederson, let's be honest. It’s still early, and there’s time for that side of his game to develop as he gets used to the demands of a Premier League goalkeeper.
The bigger concern is how much we’re asking him to do. FotMob records 19 saves across his opening five Premier League appearances, while Hull alone managed 21 attempts in Saturday’s 2-1 win. We went from being comfortably ahead to spending much of the second half under pressure.
Relying on him to keep making top saves while we allow opponents so many opportunities isn’t sustainable. Newcastle gave him the responsibility he wanted. Now we need to give him a bit more protection.
