Southgate has stepped down from his role as England manager after leading the national team to the Euro 2024 final. Howe, recognized as the top-performing English manager in the Premier League in recent seasons, has unsurprisingly been heavily linked with the position.
It is understood that Howe would be the Football Association’s top target to replace Southgate, who leaves after eight years in charge of England. Howe was appointed as Newcastle’s head coach in November 2021, initially leading the club from the relegation zone to an 11th place finish in the Premier League, and later achieving a fourth place finish, Champions League qualification, and a Carabao Cup final in his first full season.
Last season was more frustrating as The Magpies finished seventh in the Premier League and missed out on Europe while the wait for a major trophy continues. Nonetheless, Howe’s reputation remains high due to his achievements with Newcastle and previously at AFC Bournemouth.
Newcastle chief executive officer Darren Eales has addressed the speculation surrounding Howe, stating the club would ‘absolutely’ fight to keep the 46-year-old if approached by The FA.
“It is that, speculation,” Eales said about the England links. “Obviously, Eddie has been an amazing manager at the club, he’s committed to the club with the work he’s done and what he’s shown, and we’re obviously committed to him.
“We had a multi-year extension last summer, we’re on an exciting journey and as far as we’re concerned, Eddie is the man to lead us on that, so from that perspective, there’s nothing really I can add.”
When asked if the club would fight to keep him, Eales added: “Yes, absolutely.
“I don’t want to speak on hypotheticals so let me just step back and say, going into a new season, for us as a club, Eddie has done a brilliant job.
“He’s a great developer of players. He understands the psyche of the club, Newcastle, and the fans. We’ve seen that with the way the team and the supporters have that affinity.
“For us, he is exactly the right man for the project we are on at Newcastle United and that is why we are committed to a long-term deal with him. That’s why we think he’s the right man for Newcastle. We love him.”
It was widely reported that Howe signed a long-term contract at Newcastle in 2022 after guiding the club to Premier League safety. But now Eales has claimed a new extension was agreed with Howe last summer, which would entitle Newcastle to a significant compensation fee should an approach be made.
However, should England or any other clubs be willing to pay up, the club would be powerless to say no.
“He’s under a multi-year deal, there’s not a set number, he’s our employee, so from that perspective we’re not looking to release Eddie for all the reasons I’ve mentioned,” Eales continued.
“He’s a top coach, he’s the right coach for Newcastle United at this moment, and this is the coach we want to lead the club into the future.
“You’re right [the club would be powerless if the compensation fee is paid].”
While no recent conversations have taken place at Newcastle about the England role, Eales is confident in Howe remaining in charge for the upcoming season.
“We’ve not had recent discussions [about England],” Eales admitted. “What Eddie has been doing in that interim period between Dan [Ashworth] leaving and Paul [Mitchell] coming in is obviously there have been a lot of discussions going on.
“As far as we’re concerned, we’re focused on the new pre-season, excited to be here at Adidas HQ getting ready for the new season.
“With Eddie, you can see the smile on his face when he’s out there with the players. This is what he loves, the two-a-day training sessions, working with the players. From that perspective, he’s committed and doing what you’d expect from Eddie, which is focusing on the season ahead.”
When asked if he expects Howe to be in the dugout for the 2024-25 campaign, Eales responded: “Absolutely, yes. I’ve spent the last three months with Eddie, with Dan when he left, being very hands-on in terms of how we’re planning for Newcastle United for the season ahead.
“The importance of Paul coming in is to allow Eddie to focus on his strengths and take away some of the tasks that would otherwise consume all his time.
“Our aim is to channel Eddie’s strengths on the pitch. He is phenomenal at putting the team together, and as a club, we are trying to support him with hires like Paul Mitchell.
“Our goal with Paul’s arrival, James [Bunce] the performance director, and in all aspects of strengthening the squad is to work with Eddie, ensuring we retain the core squad to move forward. We aim to have Eddie as our long-term coach.
“From a performance perspective, we’re focused on how we can support Eddie, whether it’s through recruitment or bringing players through the academy pipeline or managing injuries.
“We know Eddie is a great coach capable of leading us to great things.”