Ranking the five most suitable options to replace Eddie Howe at Newcastle | OneFootball

Newcastle United have a big decision to make in the summer regarding Eddie Howe’s future after their latest Premier League defeat.

Their 3-2 loss at home to Everton leaves Howe’s side as close to the relegation zone as fifth place and likely Champions League qualification.

With Howe potentially facing the sack, we’ve ranked the five most realistic options who could replace him.

1. Andoni Iraola

He oversaw a 12th-place finish in his first season before guiding Bournemouth to ninth position in the 2024-25 campaign, representing the club’s joint best-ever finish in their top-flight history.

But his job was made more difficult following a summer transfer window in which three of their first-choice defenders – Dean Huijsen, Illia Zabarnyi and Milos Kerkez – left to join Champions League clubs.

Antoine Semenyo was their standout performer in the first half of the 2025-26 season before Manchester City triggered his release clause in January.

Iraola is also on Manchester City’s radar as they consider prospective options should Pep Guardiola depart at season’s end.

His contract expires this summer, and he has been linked with several top clubs over the past few months, both in the Premier League and abroad.

2. Marco Silva

Upwardly mobile, plays attractive football and blessed with charisma and a big personality? Silva would appear tailor-made for St James’ Park.

He was chewed up by Everton in the late 2010s, but even Carlo Ancelotti only got them to 10th. Silva’s Fulham contract expires at the end of this season.

3. Oliver Glasner

Glasner may be burning his bridges at Crystal Palace, but winning the FA Cup with the South Londoners is an achievement to behold.

The Austrian also won the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt and Newcastle would feel like the right size club for his talents and expertise.

He is out of contract in June, and has informed the club that he will not sign an extension.

4. Roberto De Zerbi

“The Premier League is absolutely the best league in the world, and I have great memories of when I worked in Brighton,” De Zerbi recently said.

“It was an amazing experience for me, and I feel the league is getting better and better.”

After being sacked by Marseille, De Zerbi is a free agent and would jump at the chance of taking over at St James’ Park.

5. Kieran McKenna

“He’s the most thorough and analytical, step-by-step, process-driven coach that I’ve worked with,” Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said of McKenna.

“He makes it so easy for the players to see and understand what we wanted from them. He’d do that the day before a game and his memory was also fantastic, his eye for detail too.

“One of his strong points was defensive organisation and I let him be in charge of that in training. I learned from him about defensive shape and how not to concede.”

The Northern Irishman guided his side to back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League between 2022 and 2024.

His stock may have fallen a little after Ipswich’s disappointing season in the Premier League in 2024-25, but they were always going to struggle after 22 years away from the top flight.

Tellingly, McKenna has got the Tractor Boys right in the hunt for an instant return. He remains a very capable manager who’ll attract a lot of interest.