NEWCASTLE UNITED are set to switch their attentions to Eddie Howe after Unai Emery dealt the Magpies a major blow by rejecting the offer to become the club's new head coach.

As of last night, Newcastle's ownership group were confident Emery would agree to succeed Steve Bruce, and had even pencilled in a training session for Thursday afternoon to enable him to meet the players and begin preparations for Saturday's game at Brighton.

However, as the evening unfolded, it became clear that the situation was not as advanced as was being indicated, and Emery has now categorically ruled out leaving Villarreal for Tyneside.

In a post on his official Instagram account, Emery wrote: "No matter how much noise there was yesterday in another country, within the club there was transparency and loyalty with the Roig family and with my squad, which is maximum and for me it is the most important thing.

"Villarreal CF is my home and I am 100 per cent committed. Honestly, I am grateful for the interest of a great club, but even more grateful to be here and that is why I communicated to Fernando Roig my decision to want to continue being part of this project because of the commitment and respect that I perceive from the club and from my players, which is mutual and reciprocal."

Reports in the Spanish media claim Emery is disappointed at the way in which news of Newcastle's interest leaked out on the morning of Villarreal's Champions League game with Young Boys, and harbours doubts about the viability of the project that was presented to him over the weekend.

Newcastle had been willing to pay a €6m compensation fee to trigger a buyout clause in Emery's contract, and wereready to pay the Spaniard around £6m-a-year to take over on Tyneside.

The Magpies will now switch their attentions elsewhere, with Eddie Howe currently their preferred alternative. However, after the embarrassment of being snubbed by Emery, it remains to be seen whether Amanda Staveley and her advisors opt to make an immediate move or use the next couple of days as an opportunity to take stock of the situation.

Like Emery, Howe was interviewed by video call over the weekend. The 43-year-old has been out of work since leaving Bournemouth in the summer of 2020 in the wake of the Cherries' relegation from the Premier League.

Howe would be willing to step in immediately, although the likelihood of Graeme Jones remaining in charge for Saturday's game at Brighton has increased significantly as a result of the events of the last 24 hours.