Soccer
No managerial change ‘at the moment’ as Newcastle address pressure on Eddie Howe
Chief executive David Hopkinson insists Newcastle have no immediate plans to replace head coach Eddie Howe after a difficult season.
However, he stopped short of guaranteeing Howe will remain at the helm beyond the end of a campaign which has seen the Magpies struggle in the Premier League after reaching the knockout stage of the Champions League and the latter rounds of both the Carabao and FA Cups.
Speaking as the club released their latest financial figures, Hopkinson was asked about Howe’s future amid disquiet from sections of the club’s support in the wake of a bruising European exit in Barcelona and defeat to derby rivals Sunderland.
He said: “Eddie’s our manager. I expect to have a great run to the end of the season here and we’ll talk about the future when it’s time.”
Asked to clarify his comments, he added: “We are not looking to make a change at the moment. We are not having those conversations.
“We are still in the midst of the season. 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.”
Newcastle will return to Premier League action sitting 12th in the table, seven points adrift of the fifth place in which they finished last season and knowing a failure to secure European football for the new campaign could have significant impacts on both finances and personnel.
Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Tino Livramento are among those players to have been linked with moves away from St James’ Park, but Hopkinson is adamant there will be no repeat of the saga which saw Alexander Isak go on strike to force through a £130million switch to Liverpool 12 months ago.
He said: “I wasn’t here for the Isak situation, so I don’t want to comment on something I didn’t see first hand. What I do know is that players that leave this club will need to do so on our terms.”
Hopkinson was appointed as Darren Eales’ replacement days after Isak’s controversial exit and while the repercussions of the Sweden international’s departure are still being felt on the pitch, the Canadian admits it made business sense in an era when player trading is essential if clubs are to prosper within spending rules.
He said: “To me, Isak was a good sale.”
That transfer came after the reporting period for the figures published on Tuesday, which covers the 12 months to June 30, 2025, during which the club ended its 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy but also had no European football.
Newcastle made a profit after tax of £34.7m, driven in part by a 44 per cent increase in commercial revenue as turnover rose by £15m to a record £335.3m, around half that of the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal.
The group strategic report revealed the club has effectively sold St James’ Park to its immediate parent company PZ Newco Limited for £172.1m and leased it back, meaning the financial burden of any future stadium development – no announcement on that front is imminent – would not fall on the club itself.
