2026-07-30 09:08:32
Eddie Howe is set to leave his role as Newcastle manager.
The coach will depart St James’ Park with immediate effect after almost five years in charge and exits just 25 days before the Magpies open their Premier League campaign against Liverpool.
It has been a challenging summer for Newcastle, with Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali leaving for Barcelona and Tottenham respectively and captain Bruno Guimaraes linked with a move to Arsenal.
Al-Ahli coach Matthias Jaissle is the favourite to take over from Howe, with his club one of four in Saudi Arabia owned by the country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) – who also own Newcastle.
Howe took charge of the Magpies in November 2021 – shortly after PIF’s takeover – and saved the club from relegation in his first season in charge.
He then led Newcastle to Champions League qualification in 2023 and 2025 and memorably helped the club end a 70-year wait to win a domestic trophy as they lifted the Carabao Cup during the 2024-25 campaign.
However, Howe came under pressure last season following a disappointing year in which they finished 12th in the Premier League after losing 17 games.
The coach’s final game in charge was a 4-1 pre-season friendly loss to Bristol City on Wednesday (29.07.26) and he said he afterwards that he couldn’t offer “assurances” on Guimaraes’ future at the club.
Howe said: “Assurances – I don’t think you can push too hard for those. I think I’ve said many times you want players that are committed.
“Bruno’s always been committed here. His training performances, his game performances, have been outstanding. Every time he’s worn the shirt, he’s played with the fans by his side. I’d love to see that continue.
“I think we want to keep all of our best players. They’re so valuable, and as I said numerous times, there aren’t many of them, and to get them and develop them is so difficult.
“So when you have them, you want to keep them. And Bruno’s very much in that category; he’s an outstanding player.”
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