A rebuild was always on the cards on Tyneside this summer, not least in the goalkeeping department.
Leaky Newcastle kept just eight clean sheets in the Premier League last season and conceded 55 goals, 15th overall with only relegated Burnley, West Ham and Wolves plus Leeds and Tottenham below them.
Newcastle’s outfield players clearly did not offer enough protection, but goalkeeper Nick Pope made a handful of significant errors leading to goals while Aaron Ramsdale never fully convinced during his loan spell and has since returned to Southampton.
A new number one was therefore a priority and Newcastle have once again looked to the continent.
The club have mainly targeted players aged 20 and under from abroad, having already recruited Jaouen, Sean Steur, Bazoumana Toure and Aladji Bamba, so Lukas Lukas Hornicek will feel like something of an elder statesman in comparison.
But the Czech only made his breakthrough as a regular starter at Braga 18 months ago and will not have much time to prepare for the physicality of the Premier League.
Hornicek’s stature will certainly help – he’s 6ft 6in tall – and his ability to play out from the back will give this side something different as a new cycle begins under head coach Mattias Jaissle, whose appointment will soon be formally announced.
What do you think this move means for Nick Pope? Does he have a future at Newcastle? Tell us
