Eddie Howe and four former Chelsea managers are being considered for the England manager position if Gareth Southgate departs, according to reports.

Eddie Howe, Graham Potter, and Thomas Tuchel are all being considered for the England manager position if Gareth Southgate decides to step down, according to multiple reports.

The Football Association (FA) is hopeful that Southgate will stay on until the 2026 World Cup, but the final decision lies with the 53-year-old.

If Southgate chooses to leave, current Newcastle manager Howe would be a frontrunner, with Potter and Tuchel also in contention. The Guardian states that there will be no shortage of interest in the role, with other potential candidates including Mauricio Pochettino, Lee Carsley, Frank Lampard, and Steven Gerrard.

The hiring process will be overseen by FA’s technical director, John McDermott, and chief executive, Mark Bullingham.

However, there may be a complication in pursuing Howe, as the FA would need to convince him to leave Newcastle, where he has received support from the board and fans. The FA would also need to consider whether they can afford Howe, as Southgate’s salary of £5m per year is relatively low compared to Premier League managers.

In other news, Arsenal is reportedly interested in signing Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino, who recently won Euro 2024 with Spain. The 28-year-old has one year remaining on his contract and could provide good value for Arsenal. He previously played for Newcastle United before moving back to Spain and has been a consistent figure at Sociedad.

Arsenal is also in talks with Bologna to sign Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori for around £45m. The club is looking to raise funds to secure the deal. Meanwhile, Arsenal midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga has joined Sevilla on a season-long loan, which could become a permanent deal worth £10 million if the Spanish side activates their option to buy.

Manchester City has rejected a £25m bid from Al-Nassr for goalkeeper Ederson. However, the Saudi Pro League club is expected to continue their pursuit of the Brazilian. Al-Nassr is reportedly willing to offer Ederson a lucrative contract worth around £900,000 to join them.