Newcastle United’s hopes of keeping Matt Targett suffer blow

Matt Targett has been a standout performer for Newcastle United since joining the club on loan in January from Aston Villa, where Lucas Digne had moved ahead of him in the pecking order under the management of Steven Gerrard. He has been a big reason behind The Magpies’ brilliant run of form in 2022 though and there is no doubt that fans will be hoping that the club are able to sign him on a permanent basis.

There have been conflicting reports in the media about whether Newcastle United have an option to buy included in Targett’s deal or not. But he is believed to be rated at a transfer fee around £15 million.

Bringing him in on a permanent deal might not be as straightforward as many would have hoped though. It looks like the defender is keeping his options open.

As reported by GIVEMESPORT, when asked whether Newcastle United will sign Targett permanently at the end of the season, journalist Dean Jones said:

"“I know that he is open to other options.”"

Newcastle United’s hopes of keeping Targett suffer blow

Now, Targett keeping his options open is not the end of the world. It just means that he will make the move that he feels will be the best for his career. That could very well be Newcastle United.

He is only on loan from Aston Villa at the moment and that allows him a lot of flexibility with regards to his future options.

According to stats from Transfermarkt, he has made 7 appearances for Newcastle United till now. And he has played the full 90 minutes for them in every game since coming in except for the one against his parent club, Aston Villa.

If Newcastle United are able to sign Targett for a transfer fee around £15 million, it would be a brilliant move on their part. But if they are not able to pull it off, the club must strengthen at left-back in the summer and sign someone else.