Championship hopefuls Aston Villa are reportedly interested in signing left-back Matt Targett from Premier League outfit Southampton.
Matt Targett proved during an impressive loan spell at Fulham in the second half of last season that he has the quality to be one of the standout left-backs at Championship level.
Targett made a big impact as The Cottagers sealed promotion to the Premier League. But with Ryan Bertrand ahead of him at parent club Southampton, the 22-year-old is facing months stuck on the sidelines unless he is loaned out again this month.
And there’s no shortage of interest. According to the Mirror (19 August, page 64) Aston Villa want to sign the England U21 international on loan – though it is understood that manager Steve Bruce aims to bring in young players he can sign permanently if Villa are promoted at the third time of asking this season.
So should Aston Villa win the race for Targett, don’t rule out the defender staying in the Midlands for longer than a year. Though he would not come cheap.
TEAMtalk reported that Southampton placed a £20 million price-tag on het academy graduate amid interest from Fulham earlier in August. Should they demand the same fee from Villa, Targett would overtake striker Jonathan Kodjia as the club’s record signing.
A £20 million deal would have looked fanciful at best at the start of the summer amid Villa’s financial crisis. But since Naseef Sawiris and Wes Edens arrived to rescue the former European Cup winners, Aston Villa are in a much more stable position.
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