Newcastle have “concrete” interest in Champions League-winning manager
Are the Magpies already eyeing an Eddie Howe replacement?
Newcastle United reportedly have a “concrete” interest in bringing in a Champions League-winning manager as Eddie Howe’s successor, according to a fresh update.
Eddie Howe under pressure at Newcastle
Howe has done a magnificent job as Magpies boss overall, not least because he finished fourth in the Premier League last season, guiding his team back into the Champions League in the process.
There is no doubt that the 46-year-old has suffered an underwhelming campaign this time around, however, not helped by injuries, in fairness. Both performances and results haven’t been good enough in various competitions, and it now looks like a tough ask for Newcastle to once again finish in the top four.
Howe now appears to be under genuine pressure to keep his job for the first time, and with PIF no doubt wanting the Magpies to enjoy similar success to Manchester City in the future, they may be ruthless in disposing of the Englishman if they feel there is a stronger alternative out there.
Newcastle eyeing Jose Mourinho move
According to a new update from Football Insider, Newcastle have “concrete” interest in making Jose Mourinho their next manager, should they part company with Howe, with the former Chelsa and Man United manager very keen on the role.
“Sources have also told Football Insider that links to multiple Premier League title winner Jose Mourinho are “concrete” and that the two-time Champions League winner is very keen on the job.
“Sources have told Football Insider (5 January) that Howe is under huge pressure to keep his job at Newcastle following a dramatic downturn in results. It is believed that the owners’ expectations this season are to repeat the success of qualification to the Champions League.”
It does certainly feel as though the pressure is really starting to crank up on Howe, despite Saturday’s vital 3-0 win away to rivals Sunderland in the FA Cup third round, and he faces a massive few months ahead of him. As the report states, it looks as though the Newcastle manager will again need to secure a top-four finish to keep his job, but the Magpies are already 11 points adrift of Arsenal in that position, so it is asking a lot to achieve that.
Should Howe be relieved of his duties at the end of the season, Mourinho would certainly be an intriguing option, considering the Roma boss is widely seen as one of the best managers of his generation. The Portuguese is a serial winner, tasting Champions League, Premier League, La Liga and Serie A glory down the years, and he is the big-name figure that the owners could want, in terms of attracting world-class players to St James’ Park.
