Newcastle is set to part company with Eddie Howe after just two preseason games, following an alarming defeat against Bristol City and a breakdown in transfer negotiations
09:47, 30 Jul 2026Updated 09:49, 30 Jul 2026
Eddie Howe is leaving Liverpool
Eddie Howe is leaving Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)
Newcastle is poised to part ways with Eddie Howe, following just two preseason games after a troubling loss to Bristol City.
The news is concerning for Liverpool, as the Reds are scheduled to face Newcastle in the opening game of the new Premier League season. The match, set for St. James' Park on August 23, will be Andoni Iraola's first competitive game in charge of Liverpool.
Iraola would've been expecting to set up against Howe's Newcastle, but he now faces an entirely different challenge. Reports of Howe's impending exit emerged on Thursday, just hours after an embarrassing 4-1 defeat to Championship side Bristol City.
Howe acknowledged on Wednesday at Ashton Gate that he had lost authority over transfer matters at Newcastle and is believed to have informed the club of his desire to depart.
Sources have now confirmed that Howe will leave the club after five years, with one piece of silverware, the Carabao Cup.
Howe had said on Wednesday: "What will be, will be.
Andoni Iraola was expecting to face Howe's Newcastle in the Premier League next month
Andoni Iraola was expecting to face Howe's Newcastle in the Premier League next month(Image: Getty Images)
"We can't control the forces that are at play here; we've just got to make sure that when Bruno (Guimaraes) comes back, we look after him and he trains well, which I'm sure he will do. And he makes a difference as he always has done."
Howe's time in charge of Newcastle was a resounding success. Armed with cash from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, the Englishman became Newcastle's head coach in November 2021, with the team languishing in the Premier League's relegation zone.
He dragged the Magpies to safety in his debut season, achieving an 11th-placed finish in the league, before enjoying a stunning 2022/23 campaign. Newcastle finished fourth to secure Champions League qualification and reached the Carabao Cup final.
The following season was tougher, finishing seventh, but Newcastle bounced back in 2025. Howe's players made history by qualifying for the Champions League again and beating Liverpool 2-1 in the Carabao Cup final, ending a 70-year domestic trophy drought.
Yet Howe failed to get the best out of his players last season; Newcastle finished 12th in the Premier League. To make matters worse, the club's bitter rival, Sunderland, beat the Magpies home and away on their way to securing Europa League qualification.
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Howe had already suffered two significant setbacks in the transfer market this summer, losing star winger Anthony Gordon to Barcelona and key midfielder Sandro Tonali to Tottenham. There's talk of captain Bruno Guimaraes moving on, too.
Matthias Jaissle, the 38-year-old German coach, is expected to succeed Howe at Newcastle.
Jaissle won two Austrian Bundesliga titles and one Austrian Cup during his time in charge of Red Bull Salzburg. He's currently the boss of Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli, winning back-to-back AFC Champions League Elite titles.