It’s been a summer of change at St James’ Park. Manager Eddie Howe left following a very successful period in charge of the Magpies that included two Champions League campaigns and a domestic trophy for the first time in 70 years.
On the back of a gruelling season which ended in a disappointing 12th place finish, Howe felt he could take the team no further, and expressed his desire to leave his position early in pre-season.
(Newcastle United finished 12th in 2025/26; 36 points behind champions Arsenal)
Howe remained in charge until the appointment of his successor, Matthias Jaissle, was announced. The 38-year-old German has big boots to fill. Despite his age, though, he arrives from Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli with a big reputation, having previously enjoyed a successful spell in charge at Red Bull Salzburg.
Squad Overhaul
The managerial change has not been the only story on Tyneside this summer, with a big squad overhaul currently in progress. Star players like Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and captain and talisman Bruno Guimaraes have departed St.James’ Park for Barca, Spurs and Arsenal respectively.
These established names have been replaced with players with potential but no pedigree at this level. Among those joining this new-look Magpies side are 18-year-old Sean Steur and 20-year-olds Aladji Bamba and Bazoumana Toure.
Newcastle 2.0
CEO Hopkinson has already stated that this is Newcastle 2.0 with a “young, hungry, ambitious, relentless” outlook that has been supported by the managerial appointment and summer recruitment.
This approach has been brought about, in large part, as a result of the PSR rules that have restricted ambitious clubs like Newcastle and Aston Villa. The 2025 summer transfer window was a mini reminder for the Magpies about where they sat in the food chain. Not only did they lose their best player, Alexander Isak, to Liverpool, but they also missed out on several key targets, many of whom opted for one of the traditional ‘big six’ clubs instead.
What About Next Season?
All of this upheaval has certainly made the Magpies the hardest Premier League team to predict this season. But despite all the uncertainty, the mood is generally quite positive among supporters on Tyneside and is even echoed in this Premier League Season Preview from LadBet, who have Newcastle in contention for a European place.
Maybe this optimism is well founded, with Newcastle still having a squad containing quality Premier League players like Lewis Hall, Tino Livramento and Joelinton. They will almost certainly strengthen further too, with at least three players likely to arrive to improve the starting eleven.
Their opening league fixtures are tough, with a home game against mighty Liverpool followed by a trip to Tottenham Hotspur. If they can pick up something from these two games, however, this could give them the confidence to put a run together in September and October, when the fixture list is more favourable.
What business the club does in the remainder of the transfer window is likely to shape their season, with Jaissle himself expressing a need for greater experience on more than one occasion. Who knows where the Magpies will finish this season, but one thing’s for certain: it will definitely be interesting!
