Newcastle United

Right, a final word from Newcastle manager Eddie Howe on this summer's recruitment plans: “I think there will be an element of change within the team, and I think that there always has to be with every transfer window, ideally.

"The aim is to always try to recruit in every window and ideally not that many players, so you don’t have the jump of six new plays coming in like we had last summer.

"It’s more of a drip feed approach, which I think is the best chance to have consistent success, but change and evolution of where the team goes is really exciting because with some smart additions, and really good recruitment decisions, I think you can improve really quickly, as some teams from last summer have shown.

"Recruitment is our big focus."

Newcastle United

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe on defenderFabian Schar's future at the club: "No decisions have been made on Fabian. In terms of guesses and thoughts on his future, that he will be allowed to leave, is very premature.

"Fabian has been a big miss for us, not underestimated by us at all. He is one of the most unique ball distributors in the Premier League. I don’t think you’ll see another player distribute the ball like he can, and has done historically for us.

"He is very creative in deep areas and we have certainly missed that ability to bypass an opponent's press that he gives us.

"A top player who’s very calm and very experienced. I’m a massive fan of Fabian and hope we can get him to full fitness by the end of the season."

Image source, Getty Images

Newcastle United

Eddie Howe on Newcastle striker Yoane Wissa's comments saying that he thinks he came back too early from injury: "Yeah, I think Yoane’s only issue in my opinion, if I’m being honest, was the injury that he suffered, and then the fact that he hadn’t trained before then. The combination of those two things meant that when he returned he was not physically able to deliver the quality of performances that he traditionally has in the Premier League.

"He was outstanding for Brentford last year. There is no doubting the quality of the player, but can we get him into a physical condition to deliver his best performances before the end of the season."

Newcastle United

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe on his disappointment for Yoane Wissa, after the summer signing from Brentford spent large part of this season out injured: "I’m really disappointed for him, because he came with so much passion and enthusiasm and he knew the importance of this season, not just for the team but for him.

"He was ready to deliver on the biggest stage at the peak of his powers and then, the life of a footballer, he gets injured and it’s a long way back from that.

"It’s been a real battle for him to get back to where he wants to be. He’s been frustrated, I know that, and he’s worked really hard.

"We have done a lot of different things to try to get him back to full fitness and it’s only the last few weeks that we have seen that. He’s now growing in confidence because he feels better.”

Image source, Getty Images

Newcastle United

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe on Nick Woltemade: “Nick is training well. I think he is benefiting from the bigger sessions with 20 players that we have missed throughout the season, and now we are beginning to work on the things we felt we needed to earlier on in the season but didn’t have the opportunity to.

“His pass to Yoane was sublime against Arsenal, and it was great to see those two link together. They could make a potential partnership for us.”

Newcastle United

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe gave an update on Joelinton's injury: “He is a massive part of what we do. He’s got that will to win, that determination to fight for everything, every lost ball, every duel. He’s there for the beginning of the game until the end. He has that mentality that we need more of from the group. You see it every day in training, he’s the one setting the standard in that sense. When he’s not playing, we certainly miss something.

"It will be great to have him back available.”

Newcastle United

Eddie Howe on if Anthony Gordon will be available to play: “He did a training session on Wednesday, and it’s great to see him back on the pitch. He is a player of huge quality and one that we have missed. We will make an assessment on his fitness closer to the game and see how he does today.”

Image source, Getty Images

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter

As well as talking about the club's ownership and his own future, Eddie Howe did discuss football and Saturday's game.

Team news is coming up...

Newcastle United

Eddie Howe on if PIF's ambitions for Newcastle have changed: "The desire is unchanged. It is to get to the top of the Premier League, and to try to win as many trophies consistently as possible.

"I don’t think if PIF are sole owners or part-owners, that will change. They are very ambitious for the football club, but a lot of things they need to do to elevate the club to that position takes a bit of time."

Newcastle United

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe on if there was any discussion on PIF announcing they were drawing investment away from LIV during the owner's meetings: “No, and I didn’t seek any either. That is a total separate entity and business. It was all football and big discussions on this season and lots of other aspects of the football club.

"Meetings were lasting right through the day. I was a part of a few hours of that, I didn’t participate in the whole day because I was training here with the team but I would say that what came through was the determination to succeed and continue to grow the club in every aspect."

Image source, Getty Images

Eddie Howe's long-term future as Newcastle boss has come under scrutiny in recent weeks.

The Magpies have been unable to build on last season's Carabao Cup success, despite decent runs in both domestic cup competitions and an entertaining Champions League campaign, which was ended by Barcelona in the last 16.

But juggling the extra European fixtures has come at a cost, with Newcastle currently 14th in the Premier League.

They will not be playing in the Champions League next season and European football of any kind is looking difficult.

Howe "retains confidence" that he will be manager next season but says "the club has to do what the club has to do".

Do you want to see him continue in his role at Newcastle? Thumbs up for yes, down for no...

Send us your thoughts using the 'Get Involved' button.

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Eddie Howe on whether he is confident that he will be Newcastle manager next season: "I have to retain that confidence. I don’t think it serves anybody to not have that long-term vision.

"So, it’s interesting how you do the job, because you pretty much look at it day to day, how can we prepare for Brighton with one eye on next week, and one eye on the summer, and then one eye on next season?

"That’s always how I have managed.

"You look after long-term interests whilst taking care of the very short-term aims that you need, and that will never change.

"Regardless of results, you have to have that for the benefit of the football club. You always have to think of the football club first. We need to win games."

Newcastle United

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe onif the board meeting provided clarity on his own future: "I have never needed clarity in my head in the sense that I am here, I’m working and I’m committed, and that won’t change.

"Obviously, the football club has to do what the football club has to do. It has to see that we are going in the right direction and there is a positive feeling, a team that is fighting on all fronts to get results.

"I felt against Arsenal a really positive uptake in performance and want to see that continue in our next game."

Image source, Getty Images

Newcastle United

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe on if he feels supported in his role after the meeting: “Yeah. No change in terms of the support and infrastructure. I was pleased by the level of support given to me, but of course, I still understand how football works and knowing that we need to get results, that will never change.”

Newcastle United

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe on those meetings with the club's owners: “It was an opportunity to see a lot of the people that I haven’t seen in a while. Obviously, the owners and representatives of PIF were over, and it was constructive. It was a good meeting, and I was a small part of that.

"But yeah, it’s always constructive because I think they clearly care about the football club, with the long-term planning that is clearly going on and there are very exciting times for the club ahead, regardless of what happens short-term. The long-term version is clearly there.”

Ciaran Kelly
BBC Sport reporter

Image source, Getty Images

This high-level summit had been in the diary for several months.

Yet there is always intrigue surrounding the annual meeting of Newcastle United’s owners, executives and department heads at Matfen Hall as they plot the future, discuss infrastructure projects and talk about recruitment plans.

Following last year’s gathering, in February 2025, head coach Eddie Howe said he was “very pleased because the ambition and drive to be successful is still very much there from everyone connected with the club”.

Howe was in a huge position of strength at the time.

He was about to end a 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy by lifting the League Cup, and had his side on course to qualify for the Champions League.

However, Howe anticipated a “slightly harder” get-together this time around following Newcastle’s slide to 14th place in the Premier League table.

While Howe does not give much away, the head coach’s reflections from yesterday’s meetings were telling, as he held a news conference before Saturday's visit of Brighton.

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter

Right, that's all from Liverpool boss Arne Slot.

We will recap the top lines of his news conference after hearing more from Newcastle manager Eddie Howe, who has given an update following his annual meeting with the club's Saudi owners...