Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing up Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti as a potential shock replacement for Eddie Howe.

The Lowdown: Bad form

Newcastle's form has been patchy to say the least this year, recording just four wins in total over all competitions, and scoring just nine goals in 12 games (Sky Sports).

This has included a Carabao Cup final loss to Manchester United, and three 2-0 defeats in a row ahead of Sunday afternoon's match at home to Wolves in the Premier League.

Eddie Howe's position should not really be under threat, considering the work that he has done to get them into a major cup final and challenging for European places in the first place, but if the poor form continues until the end of the season, the new ownership may start having a look around.

The Latest: Spalletti interest

As per Italian news outlet Calciomercato, the St. James' Park outfit, as well as fellow top-flight rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, are 'toying with the idea' of hiring Spalletti as their new manager, with PSG also thought to be interested.

His current deal at Napoli expires in the summer, but they have a clause that can be activated to extend his contract until 2024.

[web_stories_embed url="https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-7/" title="Newcastle news!" poster="" width="360" height="600" align="none"]

The Verdict: Stick with Howe

There is no doubt that Spalletti is a top quality manager, having been hailed as a 'genius' by journalist Mina Rzouki.

Napoli star Piotr Zielinski has also lauded him as an 'excellent' coach, and says that the team are doing 'exceptional things' this season.

Indeed, Napoli are almost through to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals with a 2-0 victory over Frankfurt in their last-16 first leg tie, and are 15 points clear at the top of the Serie A table, looking almost guaranteed to win the title.

However, the job that Howe has done at the Magpies should not be forgotten, having turned them from a relegation-threatened side to Champions League hopefuls, and getting them to a major domestic final gives extra credit in the bank.

Nonetheless, the board should not make the rash decision of letting him go this summer, with Spalletti someone they could target further into their long-term project.