Eddie Howe delivers update on his Newcastle future after emerging as a leading contender to replace Gareth Southgate as England manager

Eddie Howe fully expects to start the season as Newcastle United head coach – even though he’s being touted as the next England manager.

Howe is among the frontrunners to succeed Gareth Southgate after he stepped down from the national job following their Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain, but Howe has not yet been been contacted by the Football Association.

Newcastle are determined to hold on to their head coach, who took the club from the Premier League’s relegation zone to the Champions League in the space of two seasons after succeeding Steve Bruce in the job in late 2021.

Howe, on a long-term deal at St James’ Park, is preparing his team for Wednesday’s friendly against Urawa Red Diamonds in Saitama, Japan.

Asked if there had been any approach from the FA, and if he would be in charge of the club for the start of the new season, the 46-year-old said: ‘Yeah, absolutely no contact whatsoever from anybody, and I’m fully committed to Newcastle.’

Eddie Howe has insisted he is ‘fully committed to Newcastle’ ahead of the new season

Howe has been linked with replacing Gareth Southgate as England manager

Howe added that he has not felt the need to address his players about the potentially unsettling speculation as they see his ‘commitment’ to the job every day.

‘There’s nothing to talk about,’ said Howe. ‘No need to address the players. They know by how I act and how I am on a daily basis how committed I am to the club.’

Howe, keen to strengthen his squad this summer, added in Tokyo that there was nothing imminent on the transfer front.

He had revealed after the weekend’s 2-0 friendly win over Hull City that he had held ‘positive’ talks on transfers with the club’s new-look hierarchy.

Co-owners Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi left the club this summer, while Paul Mitchell and James Bunce were appointed as sporting director and performance director respectively.

Amanda Staveley (left) and Mehrdad Ghodoussi (right) have left the club amid summer upheaval at Newcastle, and Howe has admitted he is not expecting any imminent transfers

‘It’s not about having a final say (on transfers),’ said Howe. ‘I’m not going to say anything different to what I said before: collaboration.

‘We’ve had really positive talks, and we’re trying to bring the right players for the football club. But it’s never about one person’s decision, and neither should it be. It’s about a group of people coming together and making the right decisions, all for the benefit of the football club.

‘Towards the end of collating information, that’s when I’ll have my input. There’s a lot of work going on always through the year in terms of trying to bring players in.’