Matthias Jaissle is a "rock star" and the perfect candidate to lead Newcastle United into a new era following Eddie Howe's resignation.

That is the view of the Magpies' chief executive, David Hopkinson, who expects Jaissle's "Newcastle 2.0" team to offer supporters plenty of entertainment.

Howe's near-five-year tenure at St James' Park, which saw Newcastle qualify for the Champions League twice and win the EFL Cup, came to an end last week as he surprisingly resigned, less than a month before the start of their Premier League campaign.

And Newcastle quickly set their sights on Jaissle to succeed him, confirming the German's appointment on Wednesday after agreeing a reported £9.5m compensation package with his former club Al-Ahli.

During his time in Saudi Arabia, Jaissle became the first coach to ever clinch back-to-back Asian Champions League titles, winning 90 of his 138 games in charge of Al-Ahli overall (D25 L23).

He has won six trophies in his career, including successive Austrian Bundesliga titles with Salzburg in 2021-22 and 2022-23.

And Hopkinson says his CV immediately stood out when Newcastle's hierarchy started looking for Howe's successor.

"We had a succession plan for Eddie, just as there's a succession plan for every key role at the club. That is our duty," Hopkinson told the club's website. 

"We have an incredible data team, we activated the plan and I believe we sifted through something like 178 names.

"We had a clear set of criteria of what we wanted from the manager that succeeded Eddie. MJ fits every one and exceeds others that we hadn't even contemplated. This guy's a born winner. 

"He's won six pieces of silverware in his young managerial career. He is high-impact. He is high-energy. He has a clear vision of what it takes to win.

"I have had the privilege of working with some extraordinary managers and coaches, Eddie being one, and this young man has no ceiling on where his career could go.

"I have every confidence MJ is the right man to lead us into the future and build on everything Eddie has done for this club. This guy is really impressive. This guy is fire. He is a rock star."

Newcastle's ambitions have shifted in recent years, with the club now prioritising the signings of younger players after being restricted in their dealings by the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules.

Anthony Gordon and Sando Tonali have already been sold for an estimated £170m this summer, while reports indicate they have also agreed to let Bruno Guimaraes join Arsenal for £75m, with that deal nearing completion. 

Newcastle previously saw Alexander Isak join Liverpool in a Premier League-record £125m deal last year, though they reinvested almost all of that fee on Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa.

In the current transfer window, Newcastle have spent a combined £135m on goalkeepers Lukas Hornicek and Ewen Jaouen, midfield duo Sean Steur and Aladji Bamba, and exciting winger Bazoumana Toure.

And Hopkinson believes that with Jaissle at the helm and a series of promising young players arriving, Newcastle are operating in a sustainable but ambitious manner. 

"We're going forwards in a way that is built to last," he added. "We are pivoting in line with our reality, but we will surge forward from here and get into a position where we can win consistently. 

"This Newcastle 2.0 team will be young, hungry, ambitious and relentless. They want to be here, and they will fight for everything. This is exciting. This is transformational. This is intentional."