Eddie Howe leaves Newcastle with immediate replacement lined up

Eddie Howe is leaving Newcastle just weeks before the Premier League season in a shock departure, stunning reports claim.

Howe has been preparing the Magpies for the new season and his side suffered a 4-1 friendly loss to Bristol City on Wednesday.

But after a disappointing transfer window which saw the sales of both Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon and captain Bruno Guimaraes pushing to join Arsenal, Howe is poised to leave.

Fabrizio Romano reported that Howe and Newcastle are parting ways with "immediate effect" and that talks have began regarding his replacement.

Following up shortly after, David Ornstein of The Athletic said that Howe has informed the club he wishes to take a break from football after a five-year spell in charge.

Al Ahli boss Matthias Jaissle is Newcastle's top target to replace Howe and is currently working for a club also majority owned by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Talks with the 38-year-old are believed to be at an advanced stage.

READ MORE: Arsenal handed Bruno Guimaraes transfer boost as Newcastle United identify dream replacement

Newcastle have yet to issue an official statement on Howe's pending departure but it's believed that the 48-year-old was initially slated to continue in the role before ultimately having a change of heart.

Howe guided Newcastle to their first trophy in 70 years when they won the 2025 Carabao Cup with a win over Liverpool at Wembley and also secured Champions League football on two occasions.

The North East outfit finished 12th in the Premier League last season and won just five league games out of a possible 17 from January 7.

That led to serious talks with the club's hierarchy, with annual meetings taking place and 25 members of the PIF involved.

Despite the feeling that the team had massively underperformed, it was decided that Howe stay put.

However, he made the call to step down from the position and Newcastle are believed to have received the news well.

Who is Newcastle's next manager Matthias Jaissle?

Jaissle, 38, has won the Asian Champions League on two occasions with Al Ahli and racked up a 65.22% win percentage managing the likes of Riyad Mahrez, Roberto Firmino and Ivan Toney.

In an 11-year playing career, the former centre-back turned out for Hoffenheim in Germany from 2003 to 2014 before transitioning into coaching.

He worked as an assistant with Brondby in Denmark and took his first first-team coaching job with FC Liefering, Red Bull Salzburg's reserve side after a spell in charge of the Under 18's.

He replaced former Leeds boss Jesse Marsch in the hotseat at Salzburg, where he won the domestic double and led the team into the Champions League knockout phase for the first time.

Jaissle won two Austrian Bundesliga titles but was sacked a day before the start of the 2023/24 season and then beginning managing in Saudi Arabia.

At Al Ahli, he has taken charge of 138 games, winning 90, drawing 25 and losing 23 and bringing a brand of fast, attacking football.