Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe during the pre-season friendly match at Ashton Gate, Bristol. Eddie Howe has left his role as head coach of Newcastle, the Press Association understands. Picture date: Wednesday July 29, 2026. (Photo by David Davies/PA Images via Getty Images)
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Newcastle United’s difficult summer got even more difficult with the news that Eddie Howe is set to depart the St James’ Park club. The 48-year-old has reportedly decided to take a break from soccer management, leaving the Magpies without a manager as the 2026/27 Premier League season gets closer.
Howe was surely worn down by another challenging transfer window. Newcastle sold Sandro Tonali to Tottenham Hotspur and is now fighting to keep hold of Bruno Guimaraes amid interest from Arsenal. Lewis Hall is another key figure who could be on his way out of St James’ Park this summer.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – JULY 29: Sandro Tonali of Spurs takes a penalty during the Sydney Super Cup match between Sydney FC and Tottenham Hotspur at Allianz Stadium on July 29, 2026 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Steve Christo – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
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Not so long ago, Newcastle was on an upward trajectory. The club was expected to become another Premier League superpower following the Saudi-backed takeover of 2021. Howe was hired to build a team capable of competing at the top of English and European soccer and he appeared to be making progress.
Newcastle has played in the Champions League in two of the last three seasons. It won the Carabao Cup in the 2024/25 season, ending the club’s long wait for a major piece of silverware. Initially, its transfer strategy worked as the likes of Alexander Isak, Guimaraes and Tonali were signed to become stars.
Somewhere along the line, though, Newcastle lost its way. Isak departed to join Liverpool last summer and the club lost its confidence in the transfer market. Now, Howe has clearly lost confidence in his own ability to reshape a team in need of a new identity. Newcastle needs a new manager.
Eddie Howe merchandise at the team shop of St James’ Park, Newcastle. Eddie Howe has left his role as head coach of Newcastle, the Press Association understands. Picture date: Thursday July 30, 2026. (Photo by Scott Heppell/PA Images via Getty Images)
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Bazoumana Traore has arrived from Hoffenheim to give Newcastle a new threat on the wings. Aladji Bamba is another new signing for the 2026/27 season, joining from Monaco to bulk up the Magpies’ midfield unit now that Tonali is gone and Guimaraes could be on his way out the exit door soon.
Promising youngsters Sean Steur and Ewen Jaouen have joined Newcastle, indicating how the club’s focus has changed. The Magpies are now targeting players they can develop in the years to come and so it’s possible Howe felt he didn’t have the stamina to lead such a long-term project having already spent five years at the helm.
This season will be a transitional one for Newcastle United. The new manager won’t have European soccer to contend with and that could help him impose some new ideas between league fixtures. It’s not immediately clear what life after Howe will look like for the Magpies.