RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 5 sourcesEddie Howe is to leave Newcastle , just weeks before the start of the new Premier League season.
Howe guided Newcastle to their first domestic trophy in 70 years when they won the Carabao Cup in 2025.
But the 48-year-old’s departure comes just hours after a 4-1 pre-season defeat to Bristol City .
Newcastle are yet to officially comment on Howe’s departure, but his exit has been described as amicable.
David Ornstein of The Athletic reported that Howe told Newcastle that he wants to take a break after almost five years in charge.
Last season was a disappointing campaign for Newcastle. They finished 12th and failed to qualify for European football.
The Magpies have sold Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali this summer, while captain Bruno Guimaraes has been linked with Arsenal.
None of Newcastle’s new signings, such as Aladji Bamba and Bazoumana Toure, are older than 20 as the club look to the future.
Howe led Newcastle to great heights after replacing Steve Bruce as manager in November 2021, when the club were 19th and candidates for relegation .
They qualified for the Champions League for the first time in 19 years in 2022-23 and secured their best Premier League finish, fourth, in two decades.
After reaching the Carabao Cup final in 2023, Howe’s team went one step further two years later as they beat Liverpool to win silverware at Wembley.
The victory, secured by Dan Burn and Alexander Isak, ended Newcastle’s long wait for a domestic trophy, which stretched back to the FA Cup in 1955.
Another of Howe’s successes at Newcastle was the relationship he forged with the fans at St James’ Park and making the club a force again in the Premier League.
His final words while in charge of Newcastle, following the defeat to Bristol City, summed that up. “I absolutely love the football club and that will never change,” he said.
Eddie Howe with the Carabao Cup after beating Liverpool at Wembley (Getty)
Newcastle’s difficult campaign last season began as star striker Isak was sold to Liverpool for a British transfer record fee, following a protracted transfer saga.
Howe’s side lost 10 of their final 16 Premier League games last season and suffered a heavy 8-3 aggregate defeat to Barcelona in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
Howe, though, was backed following post-season talks with Newcastle’s majority owners, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), and looked set to begin the new campaign in charge.
At some stage during the summer, however, Howe appeared to change his mind and decided to leave the Newcastle. The club, meanwhile, are said to have prepared for his exit.
German coach Matthias Jaissle is the leading candidate to replace Howe . Jaissle, 38, is the current coach of Al Ahli in the Saudi Pro League. Al Ahli are also owned by the PIF.
Jaissle is a two-time Asian Champions League winner with Al Ahli and also won the Saudi Super Cup in 2025.
Prior to that, he coached Red Bull Salzburg for two seasons, winning consecutive Austrian Bundesliga titles and the Austrian Cup.
Matthias Jaissle, of Al Ahli, is set to take charge of Newcastle following Howe’s departure (Getty)
Jaissle faces an immediate rebuild at Newcastle following another summer where the Magpies have sold senior players.
The club sold Gordon to Barcelona for around £69m and Tonali to Tottenham for £100m while captain Guimaraes is a target for Premier League champions Arsenal.
Meanwhile, Newcastle’s new signings all fit the same age profile. They have signed winger Bazoumana Toure, 20, for £42m from Hoffenheim, midfielder Aladji Bamba, 20, for £35.5m from Monaco, midfielder Sean Steur, 18, for £23m from Ajax and goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen, 20, for £18.5m from Reims.
Newcastle also missed out on Switzerland’s World Cup star Johan Manzambi, who opted to join Aston Villa for £50m from Freiburg, as well as winger Victor Munoz, for signed Liverpool for £35m from Osasuna after the Magpies had agreed a deal for the Spaniard.
Following his final game in charge of Newcastle, Howe could not offer any assurances that captain Guimaraes would remain at the club next season and admitted that the speculation over the Brazil international’s future was creating a negative atmosphere ahead of the new season.
"Any distraction, if it's not healthy, is unhealthy,” Howe said. “But we're not in control of that. And to some degree, I don't think Bruno's in control of that either. What will be, will be.
“We can't control the forces that are at play here, we've just got to make sure that when Bruno comes back, we look after him and he trains well, which I'm sure he will do.”
Newcastle host Liverpool on the first weekend of the new Premier League season on Sunday August 23, with Howe’s departure coming just 25 days before the season-opener.
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