Newcastle chief comments on Eddie Howe’s future after damaging defeat – and opens door to big player sale
Eddie Howe’s future as Newcastle boss has been thrown into doubt by the club’s CEO David Hopkinson amid an underwhelming season.
The Magpies have seen their hopes of success spectacularly unravel in the space of just six weeks.
Howe’s side saw their Carabao Cup defence ended by Manchester City last month before Pep Guardiola’s side later killed off any hopes of an FA Cup run.
Despite putting up a good fist of their Champions League round-of-16 clash against Barcelona, Newcastle’s cataclysmic collapse in the Nou Camp handed the Catalans a comfortable 8-3 aggregate victory.
And disappointment quickly turned into disgruntlement when the Magpies were beaten 2-1 at home to bitter rivals Sunderland four days later.
An air of discontent has slowly shrouded St James’ Park with the club looking increasingly likely to miss out on European football next season and fans now questioning the direction of the club.
Regardless of how the remainder of the season pans out, Newcastle are set for a huge summer shake up and Howe may not be immune to the incoming upheaval.
Discussions held
Hopkinson revealed that he held talks with Howe following the derby defeat to Sunderland and was far from convincing when asked about the 48-year-old’s future.
“I don’t have a stance on his [Howe’s] future,” Hopkinson said during a media briefing.
“What I can tell you is that the derby loss hurt. We take it seriously. There’s nothing within us that thinks, ‘Well, it’s just three points and on we go.’ It has resonated.
“I had a couple of hours in a one-on-one lunch recently with Eddie and we talked through a multitude of things, including that.
“Eddie’s our manager and I expect to have a great run to the end of the season and we’ll talk about the future when it’s time.”
Probed on whether the club were considering alternatives to Howe, Hopkinson responded: “We are not looking to make a change at the moment.
“We are not having those conversations. Right now, we are focused on the seven matches we have remaining and not distracting ourselves with speculation about what we may or may not do in the summer.”
Hopkinson’s comments were not quite as clear-cut as his recent interview with talkSPORT where he gave his ‘total support’ to the Newcastle boss.
‘Howe will be livid’
Reacting to the news, talkSPORT’s Andy Townsend believes the comments would have angered Howe who has taken the Magpies to greater heights since his arrival in 2021.
“The first thing I think of when hearing that is I bet Eddie is livid with that, I bet he’s boiling,” the former Chelsea and Aston Villa midfielder said.
“I don’t think he would be too pleased with all of that.
“Eddie Howe, he’s won them the League Cup, he’s given them a couple of runs in the Champions League.
“I watched the two Barcelona games, the first at St. James’ and the one in Barca, they were right in that until it went ballistic, and they gave away some really bad goals.
“They then come back and get done in the derby. Not good.
“But that’s the time the chief exec comes out and throws an arm around you and gives you a bit of a cuddle and says: ‘We’ve got to pick it up again, we’ve got to improve’.
“Those quotes are strange… be careful what you wish for, he’s a good manager and knows what he’s doing, he’s given those Newcastle fans some great days recently.
“He’ll be a little bit upset at those comments.”
Summer shake-up?
Meanwhile, Hopkinson refused to rule out further high-profile player exits in the wake of Alexander Isak’s British record move to Liverpool last summer.
Speculation has been rife over the futures of star players Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes, Tino Livramento and Anthony Gordon.
Tonali has been linked with a return to Italy as well to Manchester United and City, while Guimaraes is on the Red Devils’ shortlist.
As for Gordon, both Arsenal and Liverpool are admirers of the winger, with Livramento on the Citizens’ radar.
And speculation has ramped up tenfold in recent weeks following Newcastle’s Champions League and domestic cup failings.
While Champions League qualification is not yet mathematically out of reach through the Premier League, failure to return to competition could see some senior players plot an exit.
“We think through what players might or might not want to do this summer,” Hopkinson said.
“But if an Isak-like scenario presents itself again, any player under contract is going to leave on our terms and we’re going to maximise the opportunity that might represent for the club.
“Going forward, our strategy is to buy well and sell well.”
Asked if that meant offloading on one of their star names, he added: “We’re not ready to answer that.
“We’ve got to see what set-up we’re in and what opportunities present themselves in the market place.
“What I will say is that we intend to be disciplined, active, thoughtful and as proactive as we possibly can but what’s the outcome going to be?
“I couldn’t begin to tell you.”
Elsewhere, Newcastle’s accounts for the years ending June 2025 showed an increase in turnover by £15m to £335.3m with profit after tax rising to £34.7m.
The Magpies hold a position of strength, but still linger behind the Premier League established giants when it comes to financial might.
But that has not deterred Hopkinson from reaffirming his claim that Newcastle can be one of the world’s biggest clubs by 2030.
“They’ve got a headstart on us and we’ve got to catch these guys,” he added.
“We’ve got a tremendous opportunity for growth right in front of us.”
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