Alan Shearer has told his Team of the Week column on the Premier League website that on-loan Newcastle star Matty Targett is “utterly reliable” in defence. The January recruit starred against West Ham on Saturday.
Targett, 26, joined Newcastle on loan until the end of the season from Villa after Steven Gerrard struck a deal for Lucas Digne in January. The 13-time England Under-21 star made his second start for Newcastle on Saturday.
The ex-Southampton star has been first choice ever since he swapped the Saints for Villa in the summer of 2019, until Digne arrived. It saw him go to Newcastle and he has since played twice, making his debut against Everton.
That resulted in a 3-1 win, and then on Saturday – a 1-1 draw with West Ham, given he was barred from facing parent club Aston Villa. Shearer said: “Utterly reliable at the back, gave everything for the Newcastle shirt.”
Shearer on Targett: Can Newcastle strike a deal for Villa ace?
Signed by Dean Smith for £11.5m (TalkSPORT) at Villa, Targett has proven to be one of Villa’s better signings since the Midlands outfit returned to the Premier League. There is nothing wrong with being displaced by Digne.
The latter is a France international, and has impressed at Barcelona and PSG – boasting two Ligue 1 titles and a La Liga victory. Targett has continued to shine in black and white, and Newcastle should move.
If Newcastle have the chance to get Targett on a permanent basis, which is likely given he is unlikely to want to play back-up to Digne. If Newcastle can get him for less than £20million, it is a deal worth doing.
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