Newcastle United defender Matt Targett is on his way to Championship club Middlesbrough on loan, according to a report.
The former Aston Villa left-back has slipped down the pecking order at St James' Park thanks to the arrival of Lewis Hall, while Tino Livramento can also cover on that side of the field.
Targett made just five appearances for the Magpies across all competitions in the 2024-25 season, including a paltry 19 minutes in the Premier League, and his contract expires at the end of the current season.
According to BBC Sport, Targett is now heading to the Riverside Stadium for the 2025-26 campaign, which will likely precede a free transfer away from Newcastle next summer.
Boro head coach Rob Edwards had supposedly also identified Columbus Crew's Max Arfsten as an ideal left-back target, but the MLS side were not willing to part ways with the 24-year-old.
Targett has come up with two assists from 47 games for Newcastle since joining from Villa in the summer of 2022, and he has made 164 Premier League appearances in total.
Leicester identify 'next Jamie Vardy' from Ligue 1
Leicester City's Jamie Vardy pictured in May 2025
Targett may not be coming up against Jamie Vardy in the Championship, as the 38-year-old remains a free agent following his exit from Leicester City, but the Foxes have apparently identified an ideal successor.
Vardy called time on a glittering 13-year Leicester career at the end of last season, leaving with a record of 200 goals from 500 appearances, as well as a Premier League and FA Cup winners' medal.
The Foxes have not signed a direct replacement for the 38-year-old this summer owing to their spending ban, meaning that Patson Daka and Jordan Ayew are Marti Cifuentes's only recognised central options at present.
However, The Sun claims that Leicester are hopeful of doing a deal for Metz 18-year-old Idrissa Gueye - whom they hope will be their 'new Vardy' - on a loan basis with an obligation to buy next summer.
The Foxes would reportedly be willing to fork out £13m to sign Gueye permanently in 2026, but the EFL will also need to give the green light to that plan owing to Leicester's past financial misdemeanours.
Gueye only joined Metz from Generation Foot in January, and the Senegal international scored five goals in the second half of the 2024-25 season.
Brentford's Nathan Collins pictured on February 26, 2025
From possible Championship incomings to potential Championship outgoings, Brentford have reportedly earmarked a Coventry City defender as an ideal replacement for Nathan Collins.
Republic of Ireland international Collins is said to be admired by both Liverpool and Manchester United, and his future remains uncertain heading into the final week of the transfer window.
Liverpool are thought to be prioritising a deal for Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi, but the Reds could swoop for Collins as an alternative if a deal for the England international falls through.
In preparation for Collins's possible departure, Football Insiderclaims that Brentford have identified Coventry's Bobby Thomas as a natural candidate to fill the Irishman's boots at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Twenty-four-year-old Thomas has been an integral player for Sky Blues boss Frank Lampard, scoring five goals in 38 regular-season Championship matches last season to help his side qualify for the playoffs.
Thomas has already netted once in the 2025-26 campaign - scoring in Coventry's 5-3 victory over Derby County in gameweek two - and his contract expires in the summer of 2027.
Leeds United's Pascal Struijk on August 18, 2025
Sticking with the defensive theme, Leeds United defender Pascal Struijk is reportedly set to stay at Elland Road after Villarreal ended their interest in the 26-year-old.
Signed from Ajax in January 2018, Struijk is one of the longest-serving players in the Whites' ranks and has now made 161 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring 14 goals.
The 26-year-old shone during Leeds' successful title push in the 2024-25 Championship season, netting five goals in 35 appearances as the Whites collected a staggering 100 second-tier points.
Spanish outfit Villarreal had purportedly taken an interest in Struijk earlier this summer, but Football Insiderclaims that the Yellow Submarine have dropped their pursuit after signing Renato Veiga from Chelsea.
As a result, Struijk will continue under Daniel Farke for one more season at the very least, but his contract is also up at the end of the 2026-27 campaign.
The former Netherlands youth international played the full 90 in Saturday's 5-0 loss to Arsenal, where he came close to breaking the deadlock in the first half only to see his powerful header tipped over by David Raya.
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