Hull City have discovered why their €30m (£25.9m) move for Lukas Hornicek failed. Fresh details from Portugal suggest the goalkeeper’s own ambitions also played a key role.
The newly promoted Premier League side recently saw Braga reject an offer worth up to €30m (£25.9m) for the Czech goalkeeper. And that was despite the bid matching his release clause on paper.
It had already been reported that Braga were unhappy with Hull’s proposed payment structure. But now, Correio da Manhã provides another explanation.
Hull were first to make their move
According to Correio da Manhã, Hull remain the only club to have submitted a formal offer for Lukas Hornicek this summer.
The bid was enough to reach the goalkeeper’s €30m (£25.9m) release clause. But Braga president António Salvador was able to reject it because of the proposed payment schedule. The package relied on instalment payments, rather than an upfront deal.
The newspaper also added that Hornicek’s own ambitions also played a role. Fresh from representing the Czech Republic at the World Cup, the 24-year-old will only consider leaving Braga for a club he believes can regularly challenge for trophies.
Hornicek himself was unconvinced by Hull’s sporting project, despite the club securing promotion to the Premier League.
Bigger clubs could now enter race
Hornicek’s impressive 2025/26 campaign has already attracted interest from elsewhere in Portugal. The report claims Benfica and Porto are both positioning themselves. They may act should they lose Anatoliy Trubin and Diogo Costa respectively before the transfer window closes.
Whether those moves materialise remains to be seen. However, the situation underlines the level of club Hornicek appears to be waiting for.
For Hull, the latest claims suggest improving the payment terms may not solve the problem on their own.
If the goalkeeper’s priority is to join a side capable of competing for domestic titles and deep European runs, Sergej Jakirović’ newly promoted team could face an even bigger challenge than simply reaching Braga’s asking price.
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