Eddie Howe is set to stand down as Newcastle United manager just three weeks before the start of the Premier League season.
Newcastle finished the 2025/26 campaign down in 12th place, having lost 17 of their 38 matches, meaning the Magpies missed out on European qualification.
Howe's pre-season has been equally troubled with the club selling two of their key players in Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali – to Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur, respectively – while club captain Bruno Guimaraes is also reported to be heading for the exit.
And, following a 4-1 friendly humbling by Bristol City on Wednesday, the 48-year-old has decided to call time, having been in charge since November 2021, after being appointed a month after the Saudi Public Investment Fund bought the club.
While Newcastle are yet to make an official announcement, it has been widely reported that Howe's reign is over with immediate effect, with Matthias Jaissle, currently manager of Saudi Pro League side and back-to-back Asian Champions League winners Al Ahli, lined up as his replacement.
What went wrong?
The seeds of Howe's exit were sown last summer when the gloss of a historic 2025/26 campaign had all too quickly faded away after a disastrous summer in the transfer market.
Having spearheaded Newcastle to their first domestic silverware in 70 years and qualifying for the Uefa Champions League for the second time in three seasons, top-scorer Alexander Isak had become a target for champions Liverpool.
It turned out to be that summer's major transfer saga with Newcastle digging their heels in and refusing to let their star striker leave, while Isak eventually downed tools and effectively went on strike.
The Swede got his wish, with the two clubs agreeing a British record £125 million deal on deadline day but the damage had already been done to Howe's pre-season plans.
While the Isak saga dragged on, Newcastle missed out on a host of transfer targets themselves with the likes of James Trafford, Bryan Mbeumo, Joao Pedro, Hugo Ekitike and Benjamin Sesko all turning down moves to Tyneside in favour of other Premier League clubs.
New boys fall short
The players that did arrive proved something of a disappointment, despite around £240m being splashed out on the likes of Aaron Ramsdale, Malick Thiaw, Anthony Elgana, Jacob Ramsey and attacker Nick Woltemade.
Only defender Thiaw – signed for £35m from AC Milan – could be described as an unqualified success, but even his form wavered at times during the season.
Goalkeeper Ramsdale's loan move from Southampton was not made permanent, £55m winger Elanga failed to repeat the form he had shown at Nottingham Forest while £43m midfielder Ramsey would produce flashes of quality after an injury-hit start.
Striker Woltemade made an encouraging start following his club-record £69m switch from Eintracht Frankfurt, scoring five goals in his first eight appearances.
But the 1.98 metre tall German's form fell away, not helped by being moved into a midfield role by Howe at times, with Woltemade scoring just two after New Year.
Domestic disaster
It was a disastrous domestic campaign for Howe's side, particularly in the latter half of the season when Newcastle lost 10 out of their final 16 league matches.
They dropped 25 points from winning positions – the highest in the league – while injuries ravaged the squad, with only Thiaw, Tonali and Gordon starting more than 22 league games. There was also a hugely damaging home and away loss to Sunderland in the Tyne-Wear derbies.
Manchester City knocked them out of both the FA Cup and League Cup – in the fifth round (3-1) and semi-finals (5-1 on aggregate), respectively.
Summer struggles
This summer's transfer activity at the club has clearly proven the final straw for Howe.
Last season's top-scorer Gordon was sold to Barcelona for £69.3m, while key midfielder Tonali joined Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur in a deal that could reach £100m.
But the biggest blow to Howe would have been the likely departure of talismanic midfielder Guimaraes, who is reported to be keen on a move to champions Arsenal.
In a clear policy shift by the club's owners - not helped by spending restrictions imposed by Premier League rules - all the arrivals at Newcastle in this transfer window have been unproven young talent brought in from across Europe, with more than £100m spent on Ewen Jaouen, Aladji Bamba, Sean Steur and Bazoumana Toure - none of whom are over the age of 20.
Howe, meanwhile, leaves the club having won 84 of the 179 Premier League games he took charge of, drawing 38 and losing 57. Only Kevin Keegan (51.2 per cent) has a better win percentage than Howe's 46.9 per cent at Newcastle.
