TWTD understands Town are closing in on the signing of Salford City's Czech keeper Vaclav Hladky.
The 30-year-old was ever-present for Salford during 2020/21, his first season at the club, making 53 appearances, including their victory in the delayed 2019/20 EFL Trophy final.
Capped by the Czech Republic at U16, U17, U18, U19 and U20 levels, Hladky claimed the League Two Golden Glove award after keeping 22 clean sheets, a place in the PFA League Two Team of the Year and was named the Ammies’ fans’ Player of the Year.
Hladky was a young player with hometown club Zbrojovka Brno, featuring for their B side and then their first team and spending loan spells with MSK Breclav, Sparta Brno, Lisen and Town’s 2002 UEFA Cup opponents Slovan Liberec, a move which became permanent in 2015.
After four years largely as second-choice at Liberec, the 6ft 2in tall keeper moved on to St Mirren in January 2019 where he made 59 starts before departing for Salford in August last year, signing a two-year deal.
Town are on the lookout for two keepers this summer with Dai Cornell already having departed and training with Peterborough, who he is set to join, and the Blues' current Czech number one Tomas Holy also told he can move on at the end of the season.
The Blues have been linked with a number of keepers including Dundee United’s Benjamin Siegrist, Charlton’s Ben Amos, who is understood to be close to joining Wigan, former Portsmouth man Craig MacGillivray, who is being tipped to replace him at the Valley, and Liverpool youngster CaoimhÃn Kelleher, who is now not expected to be allowed to move out on loan.
The deal could be completed as soon as Monday with Hladky likely to become the club's fifth signing of the summer with chief executive Mark Ashton having said, following yesterday's addition of Macauley Bonne, that the Blues "are moving forward with one or two other additions as well that we hope to get over the line as soon as possible”.