Italy manager Roberto Mancini will not replace Eddie Howe as Newcastle United manager despite reports claiming he was in line for a shock move to The Magpies.
A report from Corriere della Sera claimed Newcastle were in line to make a shock appointment for the Italy boss following their elimination from the World Cup at the hands of North Macedonia in the semi-final playoffs.
However, as quoted by the Daily Mail, Mancini himself has quashed these rumours, citing a desire to win the World Cup as his reason he will not be leaving his position as Italy boss.
The Italians have produced a very Jekyll and Hyde couple of years under Mancini. They won the European Championships last summer by beating England on penalties in the final but have then struggled during their World Cup qualifying campaign, only achieving a playoff spot via their group.
Portugal were drawn in the same bracket as them, and they would have been expected to at least get to the playoff final. But instead North Macedonia created one of the shocks of qualifying and beat the Euro 2020 champions 1-0 to set up a playoff final against Portugal.
However, why Newcastle would seek to replace Howe in the first place is a mystery. The former Bournemouth manager has led The Magpies away from the relegation zone and is the perfect man to help cultivate a fresh project and steer the club in the right direction on the pitch.