Eddie Howe is out before the season starts, and Newcastle now head toward August 23 with a new manager, transfer noise and a squad under pressure. The exit lands after a season that still brought the club's first domestic trophy since 1969, but also ends with more awkward signals than comfort.
Newcastle's end to the season
The closing run was uneven. Newcastle lost six of their last nine league games last season, and their Champions League campaign included a 7-2 beating by Barcelona. The club's last five league results, L W D W L, show the same sort of stop-start form rather than anything stable.
Their league finish was 12th in 2025, which does not sit easily beside the trophy and the European run. Those are the facts Newcastle have to carry into a summer that now begins with a managerial exit rather than a reset.
Bruno Guimarães and the next decision
The squad picture has not calmed down either. Bruno Guimarães has 4 goal contributions in 5 appearances, and Arsenal are hoping to strike a deal for him in the region of £80m. That is still only interest, not a completed move, but it keeps the pressure on Newcastle's planning.
How the club replaces Eddie Howe will shape the rest of the window, and names such as Matthias Jaissle and Andoni Iraola have been linked with the vacancy. Liverpool's opener against Newcastle on August 23 is already on the calendar, so this is not a long, leisurely rebuild. It is a new manager, an unresolved squad picture and a big league fixture waiting at the end of August.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
