Luke Edwards, Newcastle United correspondent for The Telegraph, has analysed Eddie Howe's next career move, with Manchester United and the England national team being considered as potential destinations that could offer him a managerial opportunity. Howe desperately needs a break from the dugout, but his impressive record as a manager makes him a strong candidate for top managerial positions in football.

Howe will not lack for offers. He achieved tremendous success at Bournemouth, taking the club from League Two to the Premier League. In his first season at St James' Park, he helped Newcastle United avoid relegation, then guided the team to the Champions League knockout stages twice and won the League Cup in 2025, the club's first major trophy in 70 years.

The Premier League season resumes on 10 October, bringing with it the imminent "managerial merry-go-round". Club owners, sporting directors and executives, seeing poor early-season results, will begin seriously considering replacing their managers.

The Telegraph has explored Howe's possible options and what roles might interest him.

Eddie Howe really wants a proper break.

If you ask Howe what he plans to do next, the answer is straightforward. He is currently not thinking about football at all, not considering a new job, and has no immediate plans to return to management. Multiple sources close to the 48-year-old manager have confirmed this to The Telegraph Sport.

In fact, after his emotional departure from Newcastle United in July, Howe told me that he needed not just a break from the club, but from football itself. He wanted to spend more time with his family, feeling he owed his three children more of his company. To this day, his feelings have not changed.

To understand his reluctance to return quickly to football, one must understand what he has endured in recent years. Shortly after winning the League Cup in March 2025, he was hospitalised in April of that year. This experience took an enormous toll on his body and mind, and he did not allow himself sufficient time to recover. He has told friends he is currently working to restore his health.

Meanwhile, other matters are of vital importance to him. His three children are aged between 7 and 15. He took the Newcastle United job nearly five years ago. Once he commits to a role, he immerses himself completely, and that is how he operates; he does not want to change that.

However, this dedication came at the expense of his family life. Right now, he wants to devote himself entirely to his children during their crucial formative years. He plans to use this time to be with his wife Vicky and his children; this is his top priority.

After leaving Bournemouth, he stayed away from football for over a year, returning only to manage Newcastle United in November 2021. This time, his break may not be quite as long, but an extended absence cannot be ruled out.

In January 2009, at the age of 31, Howe took over at Bournemouth, becoming the youngest manager in the English league system at that time. He has already enjoyed a long and successful managerial career. His desire for a break is genuine, and by all accounts, he is content and settled in his current life.

Only the right job will do.

Howe's team understands that his name will be linked to every Premier League vacancy that arises this season. They understand why, but he will not return to management simply for the sake of it, and will not accept an offer from a club he views as a step down from Newcastle United. Why would he? Howe is one of the best English managers of his generation. He took Bournemouth up three times, establishing them in the Premier League; he then transformed Newcastle United from a club threatened with relegation into one that reached the Champions League knockout stages for the first time in their history.

More importantly, he achieved something at Newcastle United that neither Kevin Keegan nor Sir Bobby Robson could: ending one of English football's most famous trophy droughts. In four years, he took the club to two domestic cup finals and three League Cup semi-finals. Setting everything else aside, he is Newcastle United's most successful manager in modern times.

With such a CV, he would not deliberately take charge of a team fighting relegation. If a club's budget is insufficient to compete for titles, such offers would not move him either.

This is bad news for mid-table or lower Premier League clubs, such as Crystal Palace or Fulham. No matter how attractive the terms or lucrative the salary, it would be difficult to convince Howe to interrupt his break.

Would he be tempted to manage abroad? Possibly, but it would still have to meet the standards mentioned above. Besides, at this stage, he is very unlikely to want his young family to go through such a relocation.

What constitutes the right job?

Currently, Howe would probably say he will not manage a club unless the right opportunity arises. He does not need to work for money; his career has already been highly rewarding. Even if he chose to transition into media punditry, lucrative offers would flood in; if there is no project sufficiently compelling, he feels no pressure to return.

However, retiring from management altogether is unrealistic, and deep down he knows he will eventually return. He simply wants to take his time, rest, recharge and wait for an offer that reignites his passion.

He consistently got Newcastle United and Bournemouth to punch above their weight. If he joined a club with greater financial resources or comparable investment, what could Howe achieve?

Many English giants are underperforming. Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United have recently appointed new permanent managers. The clubs intend to give Xabi Alonso, Roberto De Zerbi and Ruben Amorim time and support to help their teams return to their best. At this stage, there are no signs these clubs are considering managerial changes.

However, if results deteriorate, Howe's name would enter discussions about managerial changes. That point has not yet been reached, and there is no guarantee Howe would be willing to return to football this season. He would only return to club management if he received an extremely attractive offer.

The England manager position

This job would be perfect for him.

The FA had already considered appointing Howe. When Southgate resigned, the FA intended to interview him, but Howe made clear at that time that he was not willing to leave Newcastle United, making an interview pointless.

Taking charge of England then was too soon for him. Howe has always felt he would miss the daily interaction with players. At that stage of his career, international matches were too infrequent and the rhythm too fragmented.

However, things change, and Howe does not hide his ambition to become England manager one day. He views the position as the highest honour an Englishman can achieve, and he is undoubtedly the leading candidate among domestic options.

When Manchester United sacked Erik ten Hag, Ashworth wanted to hire Howe, but the proposal was rejected. Other Old Trafford executives insisted Amorim was the better option, and Ashworth's tenure as Manchester United sporting director soon ended.

Unless Tuchel's results collapse before Euro 2024, the England manager position will not become available until 2028. The German signed a new contract before the World Cup, initially planning to lead the team at Euro 2024 on home soil.

But given his desire for an extended break from football, Howe could now be far more interested in the England job than in the past. If he decides to wait for that opportunity, it could be an excellent arrangement for all parties involved.

Traducido por IA.

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