This is how long before the announcement Eddie Howe 'decided' to quit Newcastle

Eddie Howe had already decided it was time to leave Newcastle United before the official announcement was made on 30 July.

The 48-year-old has decided to take a break from football mid-way through what has proved to be a frustrating summer for the Magpies both on and off the pitch.

His departure was announced the day after suffering a disppointing 4-1 defeat against Championship outfit Bristol City as part of their pre-season preparations.

However, as I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider's Transfer Insider podcast, Howe decided to leave Newcastle "a while ago", despite kicking off pre-season in charge.

Growing frustrations behind the scenes regarding player sales and difficulties landing top targets are also likely to have played a part in his decision.

Newcastle, however, are planning to move on quickly are are already closing in on the appointment of Matthias Jaissle after his resignation from Saudi Arabian club Al Ahli.

Why has Eddie Howe decided to leave Newcastle United?

Former Everton CEO Keith Wyness told Football Insider on 31 July that Howe's decision to walk away from Newcastle is symptomatic of the dysfunctional setup behind the scenes.

Both Howe and Newcastle had decided to stick with their long-term project, despite what was a frustrating season which resulted in a 12th-place finish last time out.

However, the news that Howe had decided to leave weeks ago will raise new questions about the club's decision-making and vision for the future.

Speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast, I explained: "It was a surprise, the timing of it was probably the biggest surprise with everything that's going on at Newcastle before the start of the season.

"It's not ideal for Newcastle to lose their manager while the transfer window is still open and the start of the new season is just weeks away.

"It looks like a decision was taken a while ago, that Howe was ready to leave Newcastle in the near future.

"Howe decided that he felt he'd taken Newcastle as far as he can, he needed a break from football and that seems to be the main reason for his decision to leave.

"But I think he's leaving on amicable terms, Eddie Howe, and as I said, he's ready to take that break for football, but I'm sure he'll bounce back at some point as well."

What other reasons are there for Howe's departure?

Despite Howe's primary reason for stepping away from his role being that he plans to take a break from football and the stresses involved, that is not the only reason.

The boss had seen the squad he has build in over five years at the club stripped away following the sales of Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali, as well as Bruno Guimaraes' likely exit.

Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider on 30 July that Howe had been "hamstrung" by the club hierarchy, and had he not resigned, he could have faced the sack.

Pressure would have inevitably mounted on the manager's position when heading into the season with a weakened squad, following last season's underwhelming displays.

Meanwhile, an inability to land their top targets and continually seeing them poached by rival clubs had led to a buildup of frustrations behind the scenes at St James' Park.