Eddie Howe reacts to 'surprise' sacking as Newcastle United boss admired by Premier League rivals

Chelsea are reportedly admirers of Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe as they search for a new manager.

The Blues are already planning to find Mauricio Pochettino’s replacement after his surprise dismissal. The Argentinian led Chelsea to a sixth-place finish and European qualification after picking up 23 points from the final 10 league matches.

According to journalist Ben Jacobs, Chelsea are hoping to make a swift appointment with several candidates already discussed internally. Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna, Girona boss Michel, Leicester City’s Enzo Maresca, and Brentford’s Thomas Frank are among those who have attracted interest.

The report adds that Howe is ‘appreciated’ by Chelsea, but no approach has been made to Newcastle. After guiding The Magpies to safety in his first season in charge, Howe has since helped the club achieve fourth-place and seventh-place finishes in the Premier League.

It’s the first time Newcastle had achieved successive top-seven finishes in over 20 years.

After United’s penalty shootout win over Tottenham Hotspur in Australia on Wednesday, Howe was asked about Pochettino’s dismissal.

“Very surprised,” he said. “Mauricio is, I think, a very, very good manager and he has done incredibly well regardless of the club he has managed.

“He’s managed in various countries and I think he was going a very good job [at Chelsea] and the latter part of the season their form was very strong and they pipped us to sixth place.

“It’s sad for the Premier League whenever a manager loses his job especially when it’s harsh in terms of the performances which have been very strong.”