Newcastle United fear that Eddie Howe could replace Pep Guardiola as Man City manager

Newcastle United's sporting director has admitted that he is concerned over the possibility of Eddie Howe becoming Manchester City manager if he wins too many games.

City's bitter rivals Manchester United take on Newcastle this weekend, as the Magpies look to continue their fine start to the season. Howe's side, who are currently 6th in the Premier League table, could go ahead of Erik ten Hag's team if they manage to win at Old Trafford.

Newcastle have only lost one match this season, a 2-1 defeat to Liverpool, and City fans will be hoping that they can continue their good run of form against United on Sunday.

Winning matches is never normally a reason for concern, but their sporting director, Dan Ashworth, is worried that continued success could see City eye-up a move for Howe as a potential replacement for Pep Guardiola.

Ashworth said (as per the Mirror): “It’s always difficult with managers because if he wins too many games he becomes attractive to, I don’t know, Real Madrid or Manchester City.

"If he loses too many games then he’s not so attractive to the club. Being a manager is such a tough role, you’ve almost got to win just the right amount of games to keep us going on track, but I sincerely hope that we work together for a long period of time and take the club to where we want to get to.

"He’s fundamentally a really good person - his values, work ethic, what he wants to bring to the team and how he interacts with the players. His empathy and emotional intelligence is really high and he’s someone I share similar values with.

"I think he’s a really good coach. We’ve just tied him to a long-term contract, which gives you a statement. We’d like him to be a big part and a long part of this journey."