The decision was made after discussions between Howe and Newcastle management over the past 48 hours. However, according to Sky Sports, the English manager began considering his departure several weeks ago.

During that time, he focused on preparing for the Premier League 2026-2027 season opener against Liverpool on 23/8. Howe left Newcastle 25 days before this match.

Coach Eddie Howe celebrates with the cup after Newcastle defeated Liverpool in the League Cup final at Wembley Stadium, London, England on 16/3/2025. Photo: Reuters

Howe was appointed to replace Steve Bruce as Newcastle manager in November 2021. He led the club to 112 wins from 231 matches, achieving a 48.5% win rate. He guided Newcastle to the League Cup in 2025, ending a 70-year domestic trophy drought. Under the English manager, Newcastle also qualified for the Champions League two times, marking the club's most successful period in decades.

Newcastle is experiencing a volatile transfer window, having sold two key players: Sandro Tonali to Tottenham and Anthony Gordon to Barca. According to Sky Sports, this was a factor in Howe's decision to leave, as he was concerned about the squad's competitiveness before the new season. In summer 2025, Newcastle also sold forward Alexander Isak to Liverpool for an English football record fee of 175.5 million USD.

For months, Howe believed he could take the team further if the club strengthened the squad with sufficient quality during the summer transfer window. Newcastle signed 20-year-old winger Bazoumana Toure from Hoffenheim for approximately 57 million USD, 18-year-old midfielder Sean Steur from Ajax for around 31 million USD, and 20-year-old goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen from Reims for about 25 million USD.

However, Newcastle failed to secure Johan Manzambi, as the Swiss talent chose to join Aston Villa – a move considered a shock to Howe and the club's management.

Howe's last match as Newcastle manager was a 1-4 defeat to Bristol City, a Championship team, in a friendly on 29/7.

In his final press conference as Newcastle manager, Howe declined to guarantee the future of captain Bruno Guimaraes, a player currently pursued by Arsenal. The 48-year-old manager also admitted that prolonged transfer rumors affected team morale before the new season.

Coach Eddie Howe reacts during Newcastle's 1-4 friendly loss to Bristol City on 29/7. Photo: Newcastle FC

Commenting on Sky Sports News, former England international Jay Bothroyd stated that Howe's decision to leave was understandable after a tumultuous summer. He suggested that Newcastle's continuous selling of key players, replaced by unproven talents in the Premier League, led Howe to lose confidence in the squad building philosophy and his control over transfers.

Bothroyd believes Newcastle faces a more challenging period than last season, having lost both their manager and several stars. He predicted the team would face significant challenges in finding Howe's successor and could finish in the bottom half of the table, possibly even battling for survival next season.

The leading candidate to replace Howe is Matthias Jaissle, a German manager currently leading Al Ahli. Sky Sports reports that negotiations between the two parties are in their final stages. Al Ahli is one of four clubs owned by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF), which also owns Newcastle.

Besides Jaissle, Newcastle is also considering Kieran McKenna, former Manchester United (Man Utd) and Tottenham Under-18s coach, and former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte.

Hong Duy (according to Sky Sports, ESPN)