Contact made: Newcastle United make shock approach for big name manager to replace Eddie Howe | OneFootball

Newcastle United have reportedly made a surprise approach over potentially hiring a replacement for Eddie Howe as manager.

The Magpies won the Carabao Cup this season, with Howe masterminding an impressive 2-1 win over Liverpool at Wembley to give the club their first piece of silverware in 56 years.

Remarkably, however, it seems this isn’t enough for Newcastle to stick with him for the next phase of their project.

According to a surprise report from Football Transfers, NUFC have now made initial contact with former Barcelona boss Xavi.

The Spanish tactician won La Liga with Barca in 2022/23, and remains out of work since leaving the Catalan giants at the end of last season.

Could Xavi be ideal to replace Eddie Howe at Newcastle?

Xavi during his time as Barcelona manager (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

Xavi is certainly an impressive manager who could do great things at Newcastle, but it seems very harsh for the club to be considering replacing Howe at this stage.

Not only did the English tactician end the club’s long, long wait for a piece of silverware, but he also has them in fourth place in the Premier League table at the moment.

If Howe ends up helping Newcastle qualify for the Champions League again, he surely deserves more time to continue the fine progress he’s made.

Newcastle’s owners will be ambitious, however, and perhaps view someone like Xavi as a candidate who could really take them to the next level.

Xavi keen to return to management

As noted in the Football Transfers report, Xavi has spoken of his desire to return to management soon.

A big job like this in the Premier League would also surely appeal to the 45-year-old, who will want to bounce back after the disappointment of leaving Barca.

Xavi had a great playing career, establishing himself as one of the best midfielders of his generation, but it will be interesting to see if he can have a similar impact in coaching.