Eddie Howe is preparing to leave his role as head coach of Newcastle United, with Al Ahli’s Matthias Jaissle positioned to take over the job.
Howe had initially chosen to remain at St. James’ Park at the end of last season, but has since reversed course and is expected to depart within the coming days after five years leading the club.
The 48-year-old, who guided Newcastle to their first trophy in 70 years with the 2025 Carabao Cup, has informed the club that he wants to step away from football for a period.
Jaissle, 38, has won the Asian Champions League twice with Al Ahli, a club, like Newcastle, majority-owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
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Howe took charge of Newcastle in November 2021, replacing Steve Bruce with the club sitting 19th in the Premier League, shortly after a PIF-led consortium completed its takeover. He steered the team to safety in his first season before securing Champions League qualification with a fourth-place league finish in 2022-23, followed two seasons later by a top-five finish and Newcastle’s first major domestic trophy since 1955, a Carabao Cup final victory over Liverpool.
Last season, however, brought a noticeable downturn. Newcastle finished 12th in the Premier League and were eliminated from the Champions League in the round of 16, losing 8-3 on aggregate to Barcelona. From January 7 onward, the club won just five of 17 league matches, putting Howe’s position under increasing scrutiny.
