The Magpies are in talks with ex-Arsenal manager Unai Emery about taking reins at St James’ Park after the sacking of Steve Bruce.
Newcastle has been without a permanent head coach since parting ways with Steve Bruce on 20 th October. Hence various candidates have been linked with the vacancy on Tyneside since then.
Ambitious plans have been drawn up on a £ 300m takeover and two leading contenders are now heading that queue.
Having seen the likes of Frank Lampard, Steve Gerrard, Lucien Favre, Paulo Fonseca, and Robert Martinez generate a lot of speculation, Newcastle has narrowed their search down considerably.
Emery, currently in charge of La Liga side Villarreal is now the frontrunner to fill the dugout. The Ex-Arsenal coach is tied to a contract in Spain through to the 2023 summer. However, it is understood that Newcastle would need to part with around £ 6m in compensation in order to land on their top-target.
During his previous stint in the Premier League, Emery had only lasted for 18 months with Arsenal opting to sever ties with the Spaniard in 2019 November.
He had taken in 78 games at the Gunners helm overseeing 43 wins and 19 defeats. However, he ultimately paid the price for inconsistency and the inability to push the North London heavyweights back into top-four contention.
While the 49-year-old flopped in England, his record in Spanish football makes for impressive reading. Four years at Valencia between 2008 and 2012 saw his stock rise. Moreover, it was at Sevilla where he made a name for himself.
Emery delivered three Europa League wins across three-and-a-half years in Andalusia with enough exploits to earn him a chance at PSG.
A Ligue 1 title and various domestic trophies were collected during a two-year stint in France. But, he left in 2018 where Thomas Tuchel replaced him.
Similarly, discussions are underway with former Bournemouth manager Howe. He is understood to be a coach with experience of life in English football.