Eddie Howe has departed Newcastle United after almost five years in charge, with Al-Ahli manager Matthias Jaissle poised to succeed him. The 48-year-old informed the club's Saudi Arabian owners of his desire to leave more than two weeks ago, and the separation is described as amicable.
Howe's decision and reasons
Sources indicate Howe told directors he was utterly drained and wanted a break from football following a transformative tenure at St James' Park. During his time, Newcastle won the League Cup in 2025 and twice qualified for the Champions League. However, in recent months, Howe became disillusioned as his influence over transfer policy diminished significantly. This summer, sporting director Ross Wilson oversaw the sales of Anthony Gordon to Barcelona and Sandro Tonali to Tottenham, following Alexander Isak's departure to Liverpool a year earlier.
Timing and replacement
Howe gave no indication of his departure when speaking after Wednesday's 4-1 pre-season friendly defeat at Bristol City. "Every day as Newcastle manager is a great day for me," he said. "I absolutely love the football club and that will never change." On Thursday morning, negotiations with Jaissle were at an advanced stage. Given Al-Ahli is also owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Jaissle's move is expected to be straightforward. The 38-year-old German had a brief playing career with Hoffenheim and has managed Al-Ahli since 2023, recording 90 wins, 25 draws, and 23 defeats, while winning a Saudi Super Cup and two Asian Champions Leagues. Previously at RB Salzburg, he won two league titles and the Austrian Cup.
Howe's legacy and final season
Howe will be remembered for ending Newcastle's 70-year domestic trophy drought with the 2025 League Cup victory. After taking over in November 2021, he led the club to two Carabao Cup finals and Champions League qualification. However, last season Newcastle finished 12th in the Premier League, with 14 defeats in his final five months. Despite convincing PIF to give him another chance during an April summit, he became disenchanted by a turbulent summer that included doubts over Bruno Guimarães, who is reportedly close to an £80m move to Arsenal. Howe admitted after the Bristol City match that he had "lost control" of transfers and did not know if Guimarães would travel to the training camp in Spain.
New transfer policy and squad changes
Howe had reservations about a new PIF-approved policy of signing young players with high resale potential, priced between £20m-£40m. This summer, Wilson has recruited four players aged 20 or under: Ewen Jaouen, Bazoumana Touré, Aladji Bamba, and Sean Steur. Howe felt expectations were raised when chief executive David Hopkinson said he wanted Newcastle to "be in the conversation" about the best clubs in the world by 2030. Howe told friends things "no longer felt right." His assistant Jason Tindall is also expected to leave, with first-team coach Graeme Jones taking caretaker charge for the La Manga training camp. The club hopes Jaissle will take over before the camp concludes, with former Nottingham Forest manager Vítor Pereira poised to replace him at Al-Ahli.
