Eddie Howe is set to leave Newcastle after five years in charge, with Matthias Jaissle now the leading name to replace him. The departure follows a poor 2025 league campaign in which Newcastle finished 12th and lost 17 of 38 matches, and it comes in the middle of a difficult summer that Howe himself had already described in blunt terms.

David Ornstein reported that Howe has informed Newcastle of his decision to take a break and will depart after five years as head coach, adding that Jaissle of Al Ahly has been lined up as the replacement. Fabrizio Romano has also described Jaissle as the top candidate and said talks are advanced.

There is still some disagreement over the exact shape of the exit. Several outlets have framed it as an immediate departure, while others have suggested a step-down after a short break. The broader point looks settled: Howe's time at Newcastle is drawing to a close.

The summer pressure around Howe

Howe arrived in November 2021 and is now set to depart after five years in charge. That run included clear highs, including two Champions League qualifications and the 2025 Carabao Cup, which ended Newcastle's 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy.

The ending has been much rougher. Newcastle's 12th-place finish in 2025 was a long way below expectation, and 17 defeats in 38 league matches left little room to dress it up as anything else.

Howe's own words pointed to a manager who knew key decisions were no longer fully in his hands. Speaking to chroniclelive.co.uk, he said: "What will be, will be. We can't control the forces that are at play here, we've just got to make sure that when Bruno Guimarães 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."

He was even more direct with metro.co.uk: "We don't want to lose our best players. That is an obvious statement to make, losing those big two is painful for us and difficult for us. For me it has been another challenging summer so far. We are always trying to do our best for the football club long and short-term and try to get the squad in the best place."

That does not prove one clean cause for the split. Some reporting has leaned toward transfer frustration, some toward the results, and some toward a mutual decision. The results and Howe's own comments make it hard to separate those threads anyway.

Jaissle lined up but not appointed

Newcastle's final match under Howe was a 4-1 pre-season defeat by Bristol City. It has been reported as the latest blow in a turbulent period, but not as the sole reason for his exit.

Attention has already shifted to Jaissle. Ornstein's line was clear: "EXCLUSIVE: Eddie Howe set to leave Newcastle United. All parties initially chose to continue but 48yo has informed #NUFC of decision to take break & will depart after 5yrs as head coach. Matthias Jaissle of Al Ahli lined up as replacement."

The detail that matters most is that Jaissle is being lined up, not confirmed. Multiple reports place him at the front of the queue, but Newcastle have not officially appointed him.

For whoever comes next, the job is not a blank slate. Newcastle are replacing a coach who delivered a domestic trophy and took the club into the Champions League twice, but who also leaves after a season that finished 12th and a summer in which even the future around players such as Bruno Guimarães felt uncertain.

FAQ

Why is Eddie Howe leaving Newcastle?

Reports point to a mix of factors rather than one single cause. Newcastle finished 12th in the Premier League in 2025 and lost 17 of 38 matches, while Howe also spoke openly about a difficult summer and the pain of losing key players. Some outlets frame it as a mutual parting, others place more weight on transfer frustration and results.

Who could replace Eddie Howe at Newcastle?

Matthias Jaissle has emerged as the leading candidate. Multiple reports say Newcastle have lined up the Al Ahly coach as Howe's replacement, while David Ornstein reported that Jaissle is being lined up after Howe informed the club of his decision to take a break.

Has Newcastle officially appointed Matthias Jaissle?

No. The reporting says Jaissle is lined up or in advanced talks, but there is no confirmed appointment yet. That distinction matters here because the current information stops short of saying Newcastle have completed the hire.

Was Bristol City's win the reason Eddie Howe left Newcastle?

No single match has been established as the sole reason. Howe's final game was a 4-1 pre-season defeat by Bristol City, but the wider picture is a disappointing league campaign, a difficult summer and growing uncertainty around control of the squad.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 13 outlets. How we work →