Premier League club strike deal with 25y/o after Newcastle United 'talks' & £26m transfer
Premier League transfers: A player previously linked with Newcastle United has completed a move to Coventry City.
Newcastle United’s goalkeeper hunt reached a conclusion of sorts this week with the signing of Lukas Hornicek from Braga for around £26million.
The Magpies triggered the 24-year-old’s release clause at the Portuguese club to secure their second goalkeeper signing of the summer after the £18million purchase of Ewen Jaouen from Stade de Reims at the start of the transfer window.
This summer, Newcastle have loaned out Odysseas Vlachodimos for the second successive season, released John Ruddy and refrained from triggering an option to make Aaron Ramsdale’s loan move from Southampton permanent. Hornicek’s arrival is also likely to spell the end of Nick Pope’s time at the club.
The club have also looked at potentially signing a new third-choice goalkeeper following Ruddy’s exit. Such a move could be accelerated should Pope depart.
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NUFC ‘target’ secures Premier League move
The Gazette previously reported that Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen on Newcastle’s radar but proved too expensive to pursue. But another Brighton goalkeeper was also linked with a move.
According to Mail Online, Carl Rushworth was ‘in talks’ with Newcastle over a potential transfer. These claims were promptly played down by sources on Tyneside as it was understood a permanent move to newly-promoted side Coventry City was set to be agreed.
Rushworth spent last season out at Coventry City, playing all 46 league matches en route to the Championship title and has now secured a permanent transfer. The deal is reported to be worth £22.5million, with Brighton inserting a buy-back clause.
Despite spending his entire professional career contracted at Brighton, the 25-year-old never played a competitive game for the club and remains unproven at Premier League level. Instead, his playing career has been spent exclusively out on loan.
Before Coventry, the goalkeeper made three appearances for Hull City during the 2024/25 campaign, but prior to that he featured regularly during spells at Swansea City, Lincoln City, Walsall and Worthing.
Upon signing for Coventry, Rushworth said: “I’m really happy, there’s so many emotions that I’ve got.
“There’s excitement, I can finally relax knowing it’s done and that I’m back with the boys and at a Club I loved being at.
“I’m excited to have this new challenge in the Premier League and to be able to call this place home is a big thing I’ve been looking forward to.
"To see the love from the fans and to know I can now get back to playing in front of them, and to get a few pre-season games in, is really exciting. I can’t wait to experience the atmosphere at our first home game after 25 years of waiting to play in the Premier League. It's going to be unbelievable.