Premier League 2026-27 preview No 17: Newcastle

After the departure of the manager and some of their best players, fans on Tyneside are braced for a transitional season at best

writers’ predicted position: 17th (NB: this is not necessarily Louise Taylor’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)

Last season’s position: 12th

As David Hopkinson, Newcastle’s chief executive, recently reflected: “This is a moment of change. Life is all about change but there are certain moments of punctuation and we are in one of those now”. With Eddie Howe having stepped down, applying a full stop to almost five largely successful years as manager, there is a new head coach in Matthias Jaissle. The 38-year-old German excelled during previous postings in Austria and Saudi Arabia but has never managed in England, let alone in the Premier League.

Jaissle’s task is complicated s. Bonds with the fanbase weakened when the popular former minority owner Amanda Staveley was ousted in a 2024 boardroom power struggle. Moreover, many Tynesiders had hoped the takeover would bring significantly greater local and regional regeneration.

Jaissle proved a serial trophy winner at RB Salzburg and Al-Ahli, winning two Asian Champions Leagues during his three year stint in Saudi Arabia. Hopkinson has described him as “a rock star”, while the man himself appears a high priest of pressing. Asked recently to describe his preferred style, Jaissle replied: “Front-footed, aggressive, vertical, high energy, intense and relentless.” Howe’s successor could easily pass as the centre-half he was until serious knee trouble ended his career in his mid-20s. Jaissle, who had played for Thomas Tuchel in Stuttgart’s youth teams and then Ralf Rangnick at Hoffenheim, immediately turned his attentions to coaching, beginning his new career as an assistant at Leipzig. Newcastle fans already delight in serenading him with choruses of “Oh Jaissle, I can boogie.”

How are Newcastle going to create chances this season? It’s hard to imagine a Premier League side losing their leading four chance creators in one transfer window but Newcastle have allowed that to happen. The departures of Guimarães, Tonali, Gordon and Kieran Trippier have left quite the hole. New signing Bazoumana Touré needs to make a fast start.

Newcastle now have a genuine sweeper-keeper in Lukas Hornicek, the 24-year-old Czech Republic international who has joined for £26m from Braga. Hornicek’s footwork is so good he alternated between keeping goal and playing as a striker until well into his teens. Allied to excellent shot-stopping abilities and competence in the face of crosses, that kicking ability attracted plenty of admirers as Hornicek impressed during the 2025 European Under-21 Championships. Hornicek has been dubbed the “new Petr Cech” in his homeland.

Mason Miley, the young brother of 20-year-old midfielder Lewis, has impressed enormously during pre-season, shining during a narrow home defeat by Bayer Leverkusen. His preferred position is as a defensive central midfielder. Miley joined Newcastle’s academy at the age of nine and signed his first professional contract earlier this summer. “Mason’s a young lad with the attitude we need; he has the right heart and the right quality,” said Jaissle. Mason is the third Miley to have graduated from Newcastle’s academy. His eldest brother Jamie, 22, is another midfielder, currently playing for Hartlepool in the National League.

Tino Livramento missed the final five weeks of last season with a thigh injury but recovered in time to be called up to Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the World Cup and even travelled to the United States. Unfortunately for the right-back, he was back home before his country’s opening game against Croatia after sustaining a calf injury in training. Livramento has undergone “minor” surgery this summer and hopes to return to action in early autumn. Meanwhile, Lewis Hall was desperately disappointed not to receive a World Cup call-up from Tuchel. The left-back has been hotly pursued by Manchester United all summer.