It remains to be seen what the future holds for Newcastle United. There is no hiding from the fact that the squad, which only finished 12th last season, has been further weakened due to key players leaving. Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon have departed. More could be set to follow over the coming weeks.
Bruno Guimaraes has agreed personal terms with Arsenal. Lewis Hall is on the radar of Manchester United. Joe Willock could be heading to the Turkish league.
Amid all this, another name that could be on his way out of the exit door is none other than Nick Pope. The 34-year-old was still the starting goalkeeper for the Magpies last season.
Pope has only a year left on his contract though and is drawing the interest of Ipswich Town. So, it might not be a bad time for all parties to part ways. But if an exit does happen, the Magpies will need to find a replacement. And it looks like a move has now been made.
Newcastle United make formal move for goalkeeper
Newcastle United have already signed one new goalkeeper this summer. Ewen Jaouen was brought in from Reims. But it might be a bit too much to expect the youngster to come in from Ligue 2 and establish himself as a starter for the Magpies.
So, Newcastle United might need to bring in someone with a bit more experience under their belt. And it looks like that is exactly what they are planning to do.
According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle United have now asked about Lukas Hornicek. The the deal could be agreed quickly if all parties wish to proceed.
Of course, the name of Hornicek has been doing the rounds of the Newcastle United rumour mill for the past 24 hours. But it looks like a formal approach has already been made for the Czech international.
Who is Lukas Hornicek?
Hornicek is 24 years old and currently plays for Sporting Braga in the Portuguese league. He was part of their youth ranks, came up through the B team and has established himself as the number one for the last two seasons.
The underlying numbers are very promising. Hornicek could turn out to be one of the best signings that Newcastle United make this summer.
At 24 years of age, he has enough experience to take the next step. But at the same time, he is at a point where he could still be a viable option for the next decade.
There is believed to be a release clause in the region of €30 million in his contract at SC Braga. So, Newcastle United know exactly what they must pay to sign him. At the same time though, it is worth pointing out that he has already turned down a move to Hull City.
