Eddie Howe's Newcastle Exit Rocks Pre-Season as Arsenal Push to Land Bruno Guimaraes
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Eddie Howe has left his post as Newcastle United head coach, ending an association that ran from November 2021 to July 30, 2026 and included the club's first major trophy in 70 years, the 2025 League Cup. His final game in charge was a 4-1 pre-season defeat to Bristol City, and reporting from Sky Sports and BBC Sport points to mounting frustration over the exits of Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali as a central factor. Al Ahli coach Matthias Jaissle is the leading candidate to replace him, with talks described as advanced but not yet formally confirmed by either club.
Arsenal's pursuit of Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes remains unresolved, with Newcastle holding firm on an asking price starting at £80m. Sky Sports reports the Gunners have so far worked through intermediaries rather than opening direct club-to-club talks, leaving Newcastle frustrated at gauging how serious the interest is, even as Guimaraes has indicated to his club that he wants the move.
Chelsea have officially confirmed the signing of France defender Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace, in a deal reported at around £52m. The 26-year-old made 98 appearances for Palace across two seasons, helping the club win both the FA Cup and the Conference League, and earned his first France caps last season.
Tottenham's summer outlay has reached a club-record £237m, built around Sandro Tonali's £100m arrival from Newcastle, Mateus Fernandes for £85m from West Ham and Jan Paul van Hecke for £52m from Brighton, plus free transfers for Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka. Head coach Roberto De Zerbi said the club is "not finished" in the market despite the spend.
Transfer and squad notes
Newcastle triggered the release clause of Braga goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek within hours of Howe's departure, agreeing to pay around €30m (£24.5m) to make the Czech international their new first-choice number one. It is a signal, reported by Football365 and others, that the club's recruitment plans are continuing regardless of the coaching change.
Pre-season fixtures continued on both sides of the Atlantic: Bournemouth beat Augsburg 5-2 in Saalfelden and Liverpool won 1-0 against Wrexham in New York, part of a packed July–August friendly schedule ahead of the 22 August season opener, according to Sky Sports' pre-season schedule tracker.
What it means for the league
Newcastle head into the new season needing to appoint a manager, settle the Guimaraes situation and integrate a new goalkeeper inside three weeks — a heavier list of unresolved questions than any other top-half club at this point in pre-season. Arsenal's stance on Guimaraes suggests the champions are prepared to negotiate on their own timetable rather than meet Newcastle's valuation immediately. Tottenham's spending marks one of the most aggressive rebuilds in the division this summer, and De Zerbi's comments indicate the club sees the current outlay as a floor rather than a ceiling with the window still open until September 1.