Jose Mourinho wants to replace Eddie Howe as Newcastle manager: Report

Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho has set his sights set on managing Newcastle United when current head coach Eddie Howe leaves St James’ Park, according to The Guardian.

Currently at Fenerbahce, the 61-year-old Mourinho sees Newcastle as the perfect path back to the Premier League, where he previously managed Chelsea, Manchester United, and Tottenham.

Sources indicated to The Guardian that Mourinho, who recently expressed frustration with his role in Turkey after a narrow win over Trabzonspor and was subsequently suspended by the league, has even reached out to intermediaries to stay updated on any potential changes at Newcastle.

Mourinho’s interest aligns with Newcastle’s ambitions, as the club’s Saudi owners expect a consistent presence in European competition that Howe sadly has not provided.

Despite Newcastle’s solid recent wins over Chelsea and Arsenal, Howe’s position remains under scrutiny. His future within the club will most probably be revisited next June before confirming his staying or leaving the post ahead of next season, with the owners aiming to secure Champions League football.

Newcastle enter this weekend sitting in a putrid 11th place, and although Howe recently celebrated his third anniversary at the club on Friday, he faces pressure to elevate their standing in the league.

Howe also lost allies Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi as they left the board last summer, and reported tensions with new sporting director Paul Mitchell to add further complexity to his role.