Newcastle United are closing in on Matthias Jaissle's first signing ahead of his expected appointment as Eddie Howe's replacement. Eddie Howe spectacularly left his role as Newcastle head coach on Thursday morning after a five-year stay in charge.
Czech shot stopper Hornicek has a £25.7m release clause at the Portuguese outfit, which Newcastle are expected to trigger. Braga’s first choice keeper was conspicuously absent from their squad for last night’s Europa League qualifier against Železničar Pančevo.
The 24-year-old kept 24 clean sheets in 55 games last season and is a modern sweeper-keeper. The Czech shot-stopper was a key player for the Liga Portugal outfit last season, starting all but one league match as Braga secured a fourth-place finish.
Pinning down a successor to Nick Pope was a summer priority for Newcastle, who had previously failed to entice top target James Trafford to the club for the second summer running.
Meanwhile, And Guimaraes, who featured for Brazil at the 2026 World Cup, has asked Newcastle to delay pre-season travel plans to finalise a move to the Emirates Stadium, talkSPORT understands. Arsenal are confident they can strike a deal with Newcastle for Guimaraes, talkSPORT understands, while personal terms are unlikely to be an issue.