Hull City have already tested Braga’s resolve for Lukas Hornicek. However, the newly promoted Premier League club have quickly discovered the Portuguese side are in no mood to compromise this summer.
According to both Jornal de Notícias and O Jogo, Hull submitted an offer worth up to €30m (£25.9m) for the 23-year-old goalkeeper. Braga rejected the proposal despite the overall figure matching Hornicek’s release clause.
The reason was the structure of the deal rather than the headline number. Jornal de Notícias report the package relied on instalment payments, with Braga considering those terms unattractive. The report also states Hornicek himself was not fully convinced by the move.
The rejection fits Braga’s wider approach in the market. After completing the sale of Rodrigo Zalazar, the club are determined to protect the rest of their key players. As a result, they are expected to take a firm stance in negotiations.
Braga standing firm
Lukas Hornicek established himself as Braga’s first-choice goalkeeper last season and has become one of the club’s most valuable assets. Leeds were interested in signing him a couple of months ago.
The Slovak made 55 appearances in all competitions during the 2025/26 campaign. In the league, he kept 12 clean sheets in 33 matches, conceded just 0.97 goals per 90 minutes and recorded a 69.2% save percentage after stopping 74 of the 107 shots he faced.
Those performances have increased his value and strengthened Braga’s negotiating position. The Portuguese club are also keen to renew his contract rather than cash in this summer.
Business not done yet
While the transfer speculation continues, Hornicek remains fully involved with Braga’s preparations for the new campaign.
He featured on Tuesday as Carlos Vicens’ side eased to a 5-0 friendly win over Vizela. This extended their perfect pre-season record after earlier victories over São João de Ver, Buxton and Stoke City.
Hull have shown they are willing to spend heavily after earning promotion to the Premier League. However, Braga’s response indicates that simply reaching the €30m (£25.9m) mark will not be enough.
Any future negotiations are likely to depend on a more favourable payment structure, while Hornicek’s own willingness to make the move could also become a decisive factor.