Valencia (a) SOLD OUT
Bayer / Strasbourg (h) Public sale now
Liverpool (h) ST forwarding/resale now
Spurs (a) SOLD OUT
Bournemouth (h) Member sale Mon 10.08, 10am

Friendly:
Valencia (a)

Update: Although not mentioned in previous communications, NUFC have now confirmed that power banks cannot be brought into the stadium on Saturday.

Newcastle's next pre-season game - and the first since the departure of Eddie Howe - sees them head 175 miles north from La Manga to Valencia on Saturday.

Dan Burn is yet to join up with the squad, but has returned from his extended break and begun training on Tyneside.

With Ewen Jaouen and Sean Steur already appearing in pre-season, it's anticipated that recent arrivals Aladji Bamba, Lukas Hornicek and Bazoumana Toure will feature.

Also set for their first pre-season minutes are Malick Thiaw, Nick Woltemade, Yoane Wissa and Joelinton. Tino Livramento won't be involved, while Lewis Miley, Fabian Schar and Lewis Hall flew to Newcastle from La Manga.

Their opponents in a 9pm kick-off (8pm BST) at the Mestalla Stadium are a Valencia side who finished ninth in La Liga last season under Carlos Corberan - who previously managed Huddersfield Town and West Bromwich Albion.

Valencia's most recent pre-season game was a 1-1 draw at Stoke City, which followed a training camp at the FA's St.George's Park facility.

They don't have a game on the opening weekend of their domestic league season, opening up at home to Celta Vigo on Saturday August 22nd. 

The Magpies will be playing for the Trofeu Taronja (Orange Trophy), the 54th staging of Valencia's annual curtain-raiser, kicking off what should be their final season at the 1923 vintage Mestalla.

Although preparation works for the Nou Mestalla, three miles to the north of the current ground, began in 2007, it's only now that construction of the 70,000 capacity arena has advanced to the point that a 2027 opening date is likely.

This is Newcastle's first visit to the Mestalla, having faced Valencia at Gallowgate in pre-season back in 2008 when Damien Duff and James Milner goals secured a 2-1 win.

The initial away allocation was increased from 1,381 to 2,000 although the stadium won't be full, with some home areas not on sale. The hosts were gifting tickets in recent days to supporters who donated blood at the stadium!

This and United's other public pre-season games are available as paid live streams from NUFC here 

PS: Valencia's official Youtube channel is advertising live coverage of our game, but it's unclear whether there are territorial restrictions.

2026/27:
Carabao Cup draw set 

The Carabao Cup First Round sees 35 ties involving teams from the Championship, League One and League Two staged across this weekend.

The draw for the Second Round including Newcastle United will take place this coming Monday night at around 7.20pm, preceding live coverage of the Plymouth v Exeter tie.

The Magpies are one of 11 Premier League clubs that enter what is a regionalised Second Round, to be played during the week commencing Monday 24.08.

That tie will take place between United's opening two Premier League fixtures, at home to Liverpool on Sunday 23.08 and away at Spurs on Saturday 29.08.

Update:
Bruno a Go(o)ner

Bruno Guimaraes will be joining Arsenal for a £75m fee, having met incoming boss Matthias Jaissle at the club's La Manga training camp and confirmed his wish to leave.

News broke on Monday of a failed first official bid from the Gunners, claimed to be around £69m, but their increased offer was accepted - with no other clubs in the running.

A payment structure has been agreed to assist NUFC meet their SCR (squad cost ratio) requirements and Bruno's former club Lyon reportedly have a sell-on clause.

The Brazilian international becomes the first player to move from Newcastle to Arsenal since defender Mathieu Debuchy back in 2014; Mikel Merino's journey from Tyneside to North London taking him via Real Sociedad.  

This continues what is already an unprecedented close season during which Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali, previous club captain Kieran Trippier and of course manager Eddie Howe have all ended their time in Toon. 

Added to the sad loss of club legend Kevin Keegan, it's been a remarkable Summer, even for Newcastle United.

Listing the alterations to squad and staff since March 2025's Carabao Cup Final success at Wembley is a thankless task and that churn almost inevitably has an adverse effect on our reputation and effectiveness. With Bruno following Trippier down the road, leadership becomes even more of a concern.  

There are parallels with Alexander Isak last year with how Bruno has extricated himself from the club, but his legacy among fans seems less clear than that of the Swede, with something approaching sympathy for wanting a last big contract and an increased chance to win silverware.   

The loss of Howe in some ways makes it more palatable for the Brazilian to go now, although replacing his goals, assists and general talismanic value is another unwanted task for those in charge - and another potential disaster area.  

Like Isak though, if players want to go then there's little point in keeping them. As we've said before, if everything was so wonderful last season on the field, we'd not have endured a bottom half finish. Change was needed.

Rather than bemoaning the loss of players, the emphasis for us at times like this remains on who the next occupants of the black and white shirt are. That lesson was harshly learnt as a teenager when Peter Withe left, but became less and less emotional as it was perpetually repeated.

That's not to say that we'll not be giving our old boys grief when facing Spurs, Arsenal (and Liverpool) - sadly the opportunity of ridiculing the one who went to Barcelona won't present itself anytime soon....    

A reminder of CEO David Hopkinson's quotes shortly after joining the club*:

"By 2030, I see this club being in the debate about being the top club in the world. That's where I see us by 2030 - and that kind of progress doesn't take as long as you might think."

Strap yourself in for what should be an amazing three or four years then....

Meanwhile, Newcastle's relegation odds for the coming season have been slashed further. At this point, quite simply anything could happen.

* The appointment of Matthias Jaissle on Wednesday saw Hopkinson supply what may become equally notorious "Newcastle 2.0" quotes - see below.

Update:
At last, Matthias

Sky Sports interview with Jaissle is online here

Although he'd been overseeing the club's pre-season training in La Manga since the weekend, formal confirmation that Matthias Jaissle has been appointed in succession to Eddie Howe finally came from United on Wednesday night.

The 38 year-old German-born coach becomes the third youngest in the club's history, behind Richard Dinnis (34) and Ruud Gullit (35). 

He said:

"It is an incredible honour to become head coach of Newcastle United. This is one of the biggest clubs in European football, with a unique history, identity and supporter base, and I am excited to experience that passion and connection first-hand.

"When Newcastle United comes your way, you take notice. The ambition of the club, the vision for the future and the opportunity ahead made this an incredibly compelling place to be. I have followed the club's journey closely in recent years and the progress that has been made is clear for everyone to see.

"I am incredibly excited about the future. I fully and unreservedly believe in this project, the ambition and the direction the club is taking. There is a clear vision, strong leadership and an exceptional platform to build on.

"My teams are built on togetherness, hard work, intensity and a passion to improve every single day. I will bring full commitment, full energy and a determination to give everything I have to help this club achieve its ambitions.

"I believe there is enormous potential within this squad and throughout the football club. I am excited to work with the players, staff and leadership team to help take the club forward.

"I cannot wait to get started and will attack this opportunity. I give my complete commitment and total energy to bringing further success to Newcastle United."

Jaissle had been in charge of Al-Ahli since 2023. He arrives at Gallowgate with his own support staff of Alexander Hauser (assistant coach), Engin Yanova (assistant coach), Florens Koch (assistant coach), Maximillian Fischer (coach analyst), Steffen Konrad (coach analyst) and Alexander Bade (goalkeeper coach).

Geordie reset:
Land of Hop & glory?

Following belated confirmation of Matthias Jaissle's installation as Newcastle coach, The Athletic ran a piece including in-depth interview with club CEO David Hopkinson, which is now free to read online here

“We have a plan here, we have an ambition and we’re right on track. There’s no Newcastle 2.0 without Newcastle 1.0. It ignited this community and allowed us to dream. It brought us spectacular nights here, it brought us a trophy and a parade and watching those scenes is one of the reasons I decided to uproot my life and come here. It was a great chapter, but we were living beyond our means. And, at some point, you’ve got to pay the credit card bill.

"We’re going forwards, in a way that is built to last. We are pivoting in line with our reality, but we will surge forward from here and get into a position where we can win consistently. This Newcastle 2.0 team will be young, hungry, ambitious, relentless. They want to be here and they will fight for everything. This is exciting. This is transformational. This is intentional. Let’s go.”

"Eddie (Howe) is the architect, the leader, the author of Newcastle 1.0. He did an extraordinary job. There is so much about him I truly admire, including his total commitment. I’ve been in this business more than 30 years and I can’t think of anybody who outworks Eddie, but there’s nothing that gives that doesn’t also take. Eddie has done that at a tremendous cost, with time away from his family and, as his friend, I think it has impacted him.

"He loves this club so much, but when he put his hand up and said ‘I’m not sure I can go on’, we were faced with a choice. Do I talk him into staying or do we need to accept that answer and accept that Eddie knows what’s best for himself? Eddie also made this decision through a lens of what’s best for Newcastle and knowing we need a level of energy, passion, commitment and work that, in his own estimation, he’s unable to deliver right now.

"I’m still checking in on him because I really care about him. I think he’s going through a difficult period because of how much love he has for this club, but he’s made a really admirable decision to recognise that it’s time for a new voice, a new tone and a new leader. The guy is such a professional and he cares about this club so much that he said: ‘Please look for my replacement. But until then I’m here giving 100%’”

"We had a succession plan for Eddie, just as there’s a succession plan for every key role at the club, including mine and Ross’s. That is our duty. We have an incredible data team, we activated the plan and I believe we sifted through something like 178 names. We had a clear set of criteria of what we want from the manager that succeeds Eddie. MJ (Matthias Jiassle) fits every one and exceeds others that we hadn’t even contemplated. This guy’s a born winner.

"I’m not going to tell you what he’s going to do at Newcastle because that story is still to be written, but let me tell you what he’s done. He’s won six pieces of silverware in his young managerial career. He is high-impact. He is high-energy. He has a clear vision of what it takes to win. I have had the privilege of working with some extraordinary managers and coaches, Eddie being one, and this young man has no ceiling on where his career could go.

"This was not an easy conversation (with Jaissle). He was not sitting on the sidelines, figuring out what he’s going to do next for work. He was employed and delivering and he had earned the right already to be very selective about where he wants to go next and he’s chosen Newcastle.

"We have a shared conviction of what this club can be. We’re welcoming his leadership and his passion. The people here are going to fall in love with what he brings to Newcastle. Eddie leaves big shoes to fill. I have every confidence MJ is the right man to lead us into the future and build on everything Eddie has done for this club. This guy is really impressive. This guy is fire. He is a rock star.

“Newcastle 1.0 under Eddie’s leadership, under PIF’s ownership, delivered something that had not been seen here in decades and that was a wonderful outcome. 

"We need more of them. But that means it is also time to look at the lifestyle and make some short-term adjustments in order for us to compete for those trophies again on a consistent basis.”

“I’m not blaming anyone for the decision to overspend. I celebrate everyone who contributed to those transformational moments in the long history of this club. Our job now is to build from here. That means we’ve got to get our lifestyle commensurate to the regulatory environment and in line with our revenues.

"There’s a growth plan and we’re in the middle of executing it. Anchoring that growth plan is raising our revenues, so that we can move on to credibly and consistently compete. 

"It’s great we had a trophy here, but one in 70 years isn’t enough. That’s not consistently competing. Our ambition, our mission, is to deliver them with frequency.

“Ross (Wilson) is a spectacular executive, we work incredibly closely together and in the next chapter it will be him, MJ and I. We are completely aligned. Ross has been bringing in young athletes with high ceilings, huge growth potential, and we want to see that growth unlocked here at Newcastle.

"All successful clubs have some level of trading in their model, and we will going forward.

"Not only is PIF committed to Newcastle 2.0, they demand it, The ambition I’ve articulated has been generated in concert with the owners. I refer to the owners there because it’s not exclusively PIF, but also the Reuben family.

"I talk to our owners multiple times a day. They commit time, energy, people, resources, consulting, advice. They are the most leaned-in owners I’ve ever worked with. All they want to know is how they can help. 

"They challenge our thinking and push us. They’re absolutely extraordinary partners. There’s no one that wants to see Newcastle 2.0 succeed more than they do.”

2026/27:
Lilac time

Newcastle's lilac-coloured third kit for the coming season goes on sale this coming Thursday, August 13th.

2026/27:
Senior Cup draw 

Friday saw the First Round draw of the Northumberland Senior Cup made confirming that Newcastle U21s have opted not to enter for a second successive season:

Blyth Spartans v Newcastle Blue Star
AFC Newbiggin v Newcastle Benfield
Blyth Town v Prudhoe YC
Newcastle University v Ashington
Alnwick Town v North Shields

Byes to Second Round: Heaton Stannington, Morpeth Town, Whitley Bay.

U18s:
Tigers tie

Newcastle U18s  4  Hull City U8s  4

Wednesday saw United's U18 side in pre-season action, sharing eight goals with Hull City at Little Benton.

Home scorers were Alfie Seldon, Alfie Hutchison, Sam Alabi and Charlie Robinson.

Team (tbc): Holland, Patterson, Gilligan, Old (Goodbrand 46), Morgan, Afumuzor (Ghanem 50 [Robinson 70]), Alabi, Ndiweni, Kouossu, Seldon, Benjamin (Hutchison 46).
Sub n/u: Flack

U21s:
U21s learn NLC foes

Newcastle have once again entered their U21 side in the National League Cup and will play four group stage ties, visiting Boreham Wood, Hartlepool United, Solihull Moors and Tamworth.

Two dates have been announced by home clubs so far and by a process of elimination, the other two are tbc below:

Tue 18.08.2026 Tamworth v NUFC (7.45pm)
??? ??.09.2026 Boreham Wood v NUFC 
Tue 13.10.2026 Hartlepool V NUFC (7pm)
??? ??.11.2026 Solihull v NUFC

Although Boreham Wood and Solihull are new opponents, United have visited their home grounds previously at reserve level against Arsenal and Birmingham City respectively.

2026/27:
Spurs (a) extra train

FAO anyone looking to head north by train following the Spurs (a) game on Saturday August 29th:

In addition to the 21.03 LNER departure from London Kings Cross to Newcastle, there will now also be an earlier LNER departure at 20.33 from London Kings Cross to Newcastle.

Incoming:
Horni is a Geordie

Newcastle confirmed their fifth senior signing of the current transfer window on Monday morning, goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek joining from Portuguese side Sporting Braga.

Although the transfer fee is undisclosed, a £25.7m release clause was claimed for the 24 year-old Czech international custodian who has signed a five year contract.

Pulled out of Braga's Europa Conference tie last Thursday, Hornicek travelled to Spain for his medical before linking up with his new colleagues at their La Manga training camp.

He will be the third player from that country to play for the Magpies, following Pavel Srnicek and David Rozehnal.

Standing 6 foot 6 inches tall, Lukas was on the bench for all three of the Czech Republic's three ties at this summer's World Cup Finals in the USA, having won his first senior cap at the end of last season.

2026/27:
Ticket to ride

2026/27 Magpie Mover tickets are now on sale, allowing public transport use in Tyne & wear on home matchdays from three hours before kick-off until the end of service*

Held at £25 for each of the last four seasons, the price has increased to £35 this time round, with no concessions.

Available to season ticket holders, Magpie+ members are also eligible to purchase them as was the case last season - although pass validity depends on having a match ticket.

* competitive senior games only, no friendlies/U18/U21s.

Update:
Amandaland

From the BBC, Sunday:

Former West Ham co-owner David Gold's daughter Vanessa has confirmed the family plans to sell its shares in the club to a consortium headed by ex-Newcastle co-owner Amanda Staveley.

Gold's family had been holding discussions with Staveley's consortium, which also includes her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi, over a 25% stake in the Championship club.

In a statement, Vanessa Gold said: "I have now reached an agreement to sell my family's shareholding to a consortium of PCP Capital Partners, led by Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi, in partnership with Ashland Forest Capital Partners.

"While the process has not yet concluded, I wanted to be open with our fans about where things stand and my intentions."

Vanessa Gold added: "My ambition throughout this process has been to ensure the club has the right leadership and ownership to enable West Ham to achieve its potential and return to its rightful place in the Premier League.

"Amanda Staveley, Mehrdad Ghodoussi and PCP Capital Partners will bring deep experience and understanding of what it takes to lead a successful football club. I have every confidence in what she and her partners can bring to West Ham."

2026/27:
Hot and bothered

Bristol City  4  Newcastle  1

Match report

Match action

Loan lads:
The borrowers

Antonio Cordero (Cadiz):
Wednesday brought a 2-0 win over Granada in a training ground kickabout with our man completing 63 minutes.

Odysseas Vlachodimos (Seville):
Bayer Leverkusen (a) Friendly, Saturday.

Harrison Ashby (Luton Town):
Gillingham (a) Carabao Cup, Saturday.

Update:
Sho goes on

Newcastle have added a new Head of Corporate Affairs to their management team in the form of Shola Ameobi, who vacates his previous role of club loans co-ordinator.

Announcing the news, the club confirmed that Shola was part of the Premier League’s Executive Pathway Scheme in 2023 and graduated with a master’s degree in strategic leadership at Newcastle University in December 2025.

There's no mention of who will take on the "loan arranger" role, or whether the post will be filled at all. 

Update:
Squad updates

Senior players signed (5):
Aladji Bamba, Lukas Hornicek, Ewen Jaouen, Sean Steur, Bazoumana Toure. 

Development players signed (1):
Afner Ca

Academy players signed (3 - all tbc):
Eli Hall, Kyle Healy, Kryan Thompson

Senior contracts extended (3):
Harvey Barnes, Mark Gillespie, Fabian Schar

Senior players sold (3):
Anthony Gordon (Barcelona), Sandro Tonali (Spurs), Bruno Guimaraes (Arsenal) tbc

Development squad players sold (2):
Travis Hernes (Groningen), Joe White (Crewe Alexandra)

Senior players loaned (3):
Harrison Ashby (Luton Town), Antonio Cordero (Cadiz), Odysseas Vlachodimos (Seville)

Professional contracts signed (6):
Sam Alabi, Guy Bloomer, Jake Durrant, Henry Johnson, Mason Miley, Kacey Wooster

Scholarship contracts signed (8):
Chukwudi Afumuzor, Theo Benjamin, Roman Dowell, Jayden Kouossu, George Mair, Leon Mukumbira, Alfie Seldon, Lesecond Yeutembip


 

What Else?