Newcastle United CEO David Hopkinson and head coach Eddie Howe (Image: Getty Images)
Newcastle chief executive David Hopkinson has revealed he had a two-hour lunch with head coach Eddie Howe shortly after the club’s 2-1 defeat to Sunderland at St James’ Park, but stopped short of giving any long-term guarantees about the manager’s future.
The Canadian outlined the expectations from the club hierarchy for the remaining seven games of the 2025/26 season during a roundtable with journalists held at St James’ Park this week to discuss the club’s latest financial results. The club announced impressive figures, reporting record profits despite the absence of European football, with turnover increasing by £15m to £335.3m and commercial income increasing by 44 per cent. Profit after tax was £34.7m.
The financial outlook in 12 months’ time will be even brighter, with this season’s Champions League revenue set to be reflected in next year’s financial results, but no United official needs to be reminded that failing to qualify for Europe this campaign risks derailing the club’s financial momentum.
It means the pressure continues to mount on Howe, with United remaining 12th in the Premier League table despite reaching the last 16 of this season’s Champions League. There has been increased attention on the head coach following the derby loss to Sunderland, with Hopkinson refusing to give any guarantees about Howe’s long-term position.
Instead, he stressed the importance of everyone at the club focusing on the task at hand, which includes difficult away games against Crystal Palace, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest before the end of the season.
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When asked about Howe’s future, Hopkinson said: “I don’t have a stance on his future. All I can say is that the Derby loss hurt. We take it very seriously. There’s no part of us that thinks, ‘Well, we’ve only got three points, we’ll move on’. That resonated with us.”
“I recently had a few hours of one-on-one lunch with Eddie and we talked about this and many other things.
“Eddie is our manager and we expect him to do well until the end of the season here. We will talk about the future when the time is right. Right now we are focused on competing this season.”
The Daily Mail also claimed that Mr Howe’s long-term future was in doubt after lengthy talks.
Hopkinson was then asked about his comments about Howe and whether he gave a vague response. Reiterating the need to secure European football next season, the CEO, supported by finance director Simon Capper, who was sitting next to him in the room, said: “I’m not going to frame it that way (unlimited). I’m not looking at making any changes at this point.”
“We haven’t had those conversations. We’re still in the middle of the season. We’re focused on the seven games left right now and not getting distracted by speculation about what we’ll or won’t do in the summer.”
“We all only have enough bandwidth at the moment, so we are focused on finishing this season on a strong note.”
Eddie Howe feels his future is in doubt. (Image: Getty Images)
Both Capper and Hopkinson suggested that Howe had no misconceptions about the upcoming transfer window, with Newcastle having to view themselves as a ‘trading’ club and financial regulations making clear the requirements for sales and purchases.
This follows rumors surrounding the future of a number of Newcastle’s high-profile players, including Sandro Tonali, Tino Libramento and Bruno Guimarães, who are rumored to be leaving the club this summer.
Hopkinson said: “Eddie is experienced, thoughtful and understands the need to control team costs and maximize our opportunity to compete. Eddie wants exactly the same things as us and we’ve had a lot of dialogue with Eddie. What I can tell you is that he’s aligned and he understands this.”
Meanwhile, the club’s financial results highlighted continued progress since the Saudi-led takeover in 2021, with impressive growth following years of stagnation under Mike Ashley.
Mr Hopkinson claims this figure puts the Magpies in a good position to realize their ambition to achieve ‘world class’ status by 2030, but says it has been boosted by the sale of the St James’s Park leasehold and other assets to a company that forms part of its wider business.
A statement from the club said: “Newcastle United Limited has announced its financial results for the year ending June 2025, confirming record revenues and a 44% increase in commercial income as the club’s operational transformation continues.
“The 2025 financial results are underpinned by the successes on the pitch during the financial period, including the club winning its first domestic trophy in 70 years, finishing fifth in the Premier League and qualifying for the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League.”
“Despite not taking part in any European competition during the financial period, the club’s turnover increased by £15m to £335.3m. Profit after tax was significantly positive at £34.7m. A 44% increase in commercial income was the main driver. This was a key driver in overcoming the loss of revenue at Loppa. This was supported by investment in a new in-house retail business and the opening of a unique fan zone, ‘St James Stack’, next to St James Park.
“The club has also undertaken a restructuring of its real estate holdings and group structure to support future investment in infrastructure accounted for in accordance with FRS102 accounting rules. The 2025 financial results reflect a gain on disposal of £133.2 million, which will be adjusted slightly in the 2026 financial year based on the outcome of the Premier League’s fair market value process, which has now concluded.”
Hopkinson said in a statement: “Our financial results reflect not only strong progress on and off the pitch, but also the solid foundations that are being laid for the future we all want. Thanks to the continued support of PIF and the Reuben family, we are better positioned than ever to invest in our long-term vision and set the conditions for sustained success.”
“Together with our supporters, staff, players and ownership, we move forward with ambition and a shared belief in what this club can become.
“These results predate my arrival, so I would like to express my sincere thanks to Darren Eales for his leadership and commitment during this important period of transition for the club. He has made a lasting contribution at a key stage and we are confident of building on that progress.”
