Newcastle United has identified former Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino as their primary target to replace Eddie Howe if the coach ends up accepting the England managerial role and if the FA approaches him for the position, according to John Richardson of Mirror.
Howe is on the FA’s shortlist to succeed Gareth Southgate, leaving Newcastle’s hierarchy to consider their options, but no official approach has been made that is known at the time of this writing.
Howe is reportedly torn between the opportunity to manage the England national team and his current role at St. James’ Park, and he made clear a few days ago speaking to the club website that he won’t tolerate any misstep by the club if the Magpies want to keep him in tow.
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Given the urgency of the situation and the possibility of a sudden and unexpected exit, Newcastle’s board has seemingly moved on to identifying potential replacements including Pochettino, who seems to lead the race at this early stage.
It’s worth noting that the Mirror revealed that Paul Mitchell, Newcastle’s newly appointed sporting director, has a longstanding relationship with Pochettino. Mitchell brought the then-relatively unknown Pochettino to Southampton while serving as the Saints’ head of recruitment. The duo later reunited at Tottenham, where they enjoyed a productive working relationship.
Mitchell’s prior connection with Pochettino is a key factor in Newcastle’s strategy according to Mirror. Despite Pochettino’s availability following his departure from Chelsea last month,
Howe is also bothered by the loss of two significant allies in Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi, who recently exited the club after selling their stakes in the organization This development could have a heavy impact on Howe’s decision regarding the England job if he ultimately leaves Tyneside.
