Newcastle United have reached an agreement in principle with Eddie Howe about the vacant managerial spot, according to numerous reports.
The Public Investment Fund, chaired by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman who also acts as the deputy prime minister and minister of defence, completed the takeover of Newcastle last month. As was widely expected, manager Steve Bruce was soon sacked and the search for a suitable candidate for the job began.
Villarreal boss Unai Emery reportedly held discussions with Newcastle and had emerged as their preferred target, only to back down at a crucial moment and confirm he was staying with the La Liga side on Wednesday.
Endavant !! pic.twitter.com/VLGarttstl
— Unai Emery Echegoyen (@UnaiEmery_) November 3, 2021
“Villarreal is my home and I am 100 per cent committed to the club,” the statement reads.
“Honestly, I am grateful for the interest shown by a great club, but am also even more grateful to stay here, and I have communicated to Fernando Roig my decision to want to continue as part of this project and for the commitment and respect that I have received from the club and my players, it is mutual and reciprocated.
“I also want to show gratitude for the love and support that has always been shown to me. This Sunday, we have a very important game and I hope that, together, we can achieve victory. We will see you in the Estadio Ceramica.”
The attention of the Magpies turned to Howe at that point, and after the initial talks were held with the former Bournemouth manager, they were apparently impressed by the presentation of his plans, as well as the level of research he had already done on the club and the project. Howe has been out of work since the summer of 2020, when he parted ways with the Cherries after they were relegated from the Premier League.
Amanda Staveley and her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi, effectively in charge at Newcastle since the completion of the takeover, have already made it clear that their long-term plan is to turn the club into proper contenders for the Premier League title, conducting the process gradually over the next decade.
Some believe that their turning from Emery to Howe, and the fact that the two of them were at one point both considered for the job despite their known football styles being rather different, points to a lack of clear vision from the club in terms of what they want to see on the pitch.
Even on a basic level, if you’re going from Emery to Howe, they’re so different in approach that you have to ask what exactly the plan is beyond “get us the best name who will come to us”.
— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) November 4, 2021
