Eddie Howe is leading the race to become Newcastle United manager, with the new board at St. James's Park said to be impressed with the former Bournemouth boss's vision for the club.
Howe managed Bournemouth in two spells, leaving the Cherries during the summer of 2020, following their relegation to the Championship after five years. Since then, he has been out of work - though he has been approached for other jobs, most notably almost becoming Celtic manager this summer.
Former Arsenal manager Unai Emery is reported to have turned the Toon job down this week too, after the new ownership offered to buy him out of his current contract at Europa League winners, Villarreal.
Eddie Howe was renowned for a fast-paced, attacking brand of football while manager at the Vitality Stadium. He was given the Bournemouth job as a rookie during a financial crisis at the club and managed to save them from relegation after the club began the season on minus 17 points, following a points deduction.
Survival in League Two was followed by promotion to League One, then the Championship. Briefly, Howe left the club to manage Burnley directly before Sean Dyche - but returned to the club to take Bournemouth to the Premier League for the first time ever, as champions in 2015.
Should Howe take the job at Newcastle, he will be reunited with three players he has worked with before. Callum Wilson was sold to the Magpies following the Cherries' drop in 2020 for £15m; Wilson was the first player to score a hat-trick for Howe in the Premier League and spearheaded Bournemouth's Championship-winning campaign.
Matt Ritchie joined Bournemouth from Swindon Town and left after just one season in the Premier League to join the then-relegated Newcastle United. Ryan Fraser, meanwhile, left for Tyneside under a cloud, after refusing to play for Bournemouth when his contract ended during lockdown, before claiming he thought he could have kept them up.
Newcastle are in a relegation battle and Howe's first job will be to steady the ship before the club make expected signings in January.