Newcastle target elite next manager shortlisted by Liverpool and Chelsea, as Eddie Howe sack fears grow

Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim and the Newcastle United badge

Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim has emerged as a target to replace Eddie Howe as Newcastle United manager in the summer, TEAMtalk can exclusively reveal.

Amorim has established himself as one of the brightest young coaching talents in European football, with the 39-year-old making a great impression at Sporting Lisbon since his appointment in March 2020.

The former Portuguese international midfielder has turned the club’s fortunes around with his attractive style of play, winning the Primeira Liga, the Portuguese Cup and the Portuguese Super Cup over the course of his four-year stint.

His success has seen him register on the radar of a number of Premier League clubs and he was interviewed for the Chelsea job last year before they hired Mauricio Pochettino.

Amorim has even been shortlisted by Liverpool as a potential replacement for Jurgen Klopp, who announced last month that he will step down from his post at the end of the season.

However, Amorim is not top of the list with the Reds hoping to beat Bayern Munich to the signature of their former player Xabi Alonso who’s currently impressing as manager of Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

Eddie Howe under pressure at Newcastle

Its not just Chelsea and Liverpool who have an eye on him, though, as sources state he is also admired by Newcastle and could replace Eddie Howe should the club decide it’s time for change in the dugout.

The owners of Newcastle want Howe to succeed as they planned to make him their own version of Sir Alex Ferguson, the legendary Manchester United manager, but football is a results business and this season has been sobering compared to last year.

There are some sources who suggest that there could be a new direction taken when the campaign ends, but it would be dependent on where and how the club finish the season.

Having qualified for the Champions League for the first time in two decades last term, Newcastle currently sit a distant ninth in the table and have had to battle an unprecedented amount of injuries throughout the season.

Newcastle also lost Sandro Tonali, a major summer signing from Serie A giants AC Milan, to a lengthy ban for gambling breaches.

These are factors that have been recognised by the board, but some performances have raised concern with sources in Saudi Arabia stating there are some doubts that Howe is the man to take Newcastle to the pinnacle of English and European football.

Amorim is a name listed that would be approached for an interview should the opportunity arise and TEAMtalk understands he would be very keen to take up a role in the Premier League.

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