Matt Targett has endured a difficult few seasons since becoming a permanent Newcastle United player.
And those wishes were granted when Targett moved to St James’ Park on a permanent basis the following summer. However, injury issues and the form of players ahead of him mean he has endured a very tough few years on Tyneside.
Targett, now 29, has played just 31 times in his three full seasons as a Newcastle United player, with just 12 of those coming in the last two campaigns. A plethora of injuries has limited his gametime, whilst the emergence of Lewis Hall means he will struggle to get back into the team - even if he is able to put those fitness issues behind him.
Matt Targett transfer claim
As Newcastle prepare for a summer window that could see them transform the first-team squad and options available to Eddie Howe, Targett could find himself on the way out of St James’ Park. PSR is not an issue this summer, but any money they can raise from player sales would allow them to spend even more money either this summer or in future windows.
According to Sky Sports, Targett could be someone the club allows to leave this summer in a move that could benefit all parties. The Magpies would be able to receive a fee for him, whilst the player himself could find a route to more regular first-team football.
Eddie Howe’s praise for Matt Targett
Whilst it has been a frustrating few years for Targett, it can be easy to forget just what an impact he had on the team during his first few months on Tyneside. Targett joined a defence that was leaking goals left, right and centre during the first-half of the campaign and that looked destined for the Championship.
However, his efforts at left-back firmed up that defence and with Burn inside him, they were able to rectify those defensive issues. Targett had a memorable debut in February 2022, playing in their 3-1 win over Everton - a result that really ignited the club’s survival hopes against one of their nearest rivals and most remembered for Trippier’s stunning free-kick past a helpless Jordan Pickford.
"Outstanding,” said Howe when asked about Targett’s performance on that night. “He’s a very level-headed and calm person – he defended really, really well.
“Matt, I thought, was excellent. Very, very strong performance.
“The biggest compliment I can pay him is that it looked like he’d been part of that back four for a number of years. I thought his positioning was very good, his use of the ball was good. Very pleased him with.”
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