Eddie Howe, manager of English Premier League (EPL) club Newcastle United, has stepped down after five years in charge.

Matthias Jaissle, the 38-year-old young tactician currently leading Saudi Arabia's Al-Ahli, has been selected as his successor.

British media outlets reported simultaneously that Howe has resigned and that Jaissle will take his place.

Hours after the reports, the club has yet to make an official announcement.

Sky Sports reported that the decision to resign was reached following discussions between Howe and the Newcastle hierarchy over the past 48 hours.

Multiple outlets added that Howe first expressed to the club his desire to take a break from the touchline for the time being.

Britain's BBC reported, "Howe made a pure decision based on his judgment that his role at the club had run its course," adding, "He already communicated his intention to resign to the Newcastle hierarchy about two weeks ago."

Initially, the club urged him to reconsider and lead the team for the upcoming season, but ultimately accepted Howe's wishes.

It is understood that the club asked him to remain in charge until a successor could be found, and Howe agreed.

The 48-year-old Howe led Newcastle for the past five years, securing the club's first major trophy in 70 years with the 2025 Carabao Cup (League Cup) victory.

He proved his managerial capability by guiding the team to the UEFA Champions League (UCL) stage in 2023 and 2025.

However, last season he left lingering disappointment as the team suffered 17 defeats in 38 matches and plummeted to 12th in the league.

The pre-season match defeat against Bristol City on the 29th became Howe's final game.

Alan Shearer, a Newcastle legend and former England international, expressed gratitude for Howe's hard work through a BBC column, while also pointing out that consecutive departures of key players and failed acquisitions likely influenced the resignation.

Shearer analyzed, "The timing is most surprising, with pre-season already three weeks underway and the EPL opening just three weeks away," adding, "I don't know exactly what happened, but watching key players sold off, he must have felt that an already tough managerial job was becoming increasingly difficult."

Indeed, following the departure of star striker Alexander Isak to Liverpool last year, Newcastle subsequently transferred Sandro Tonali to Tottenham and Anthony Gordon to Barcelona.

Captain Bruno Guimaraes is also rumored to be a candidate to leave the team.

Manager Jaissle, who retired from active play at the early age of 25 due to injuries during his playing career, entered the coaching path early and achieved significant results.

He made his mark by taking the helm at Austria's Red Bull Salzburg in 2021 and achieving two consecutive league titles, and after taking over as manager of Saudi Arabia's Al-Ahli in 2023, he led the team to two consecutive Asian Champions League titles.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)