Leicester City and former employers Fulham held talks with Matt Targett on deadline day but Newcastle United have retained the left-back with Eddie Howe an admirer.
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It was a frustrating deadline day at St James’ Park.
Crystal Palace brought that long-running chase for Marc Guehi to a shuddering halt, confirming that their £75 million-rated England international would not be on his way to Tyneside despite Newcastle United making a series of increasingly eye-watering bids.
The Magpies were also unable to bring in one of their Guehi alternatives, such as RB Leipzig ace Mohammed Simakan.
As such, Newcastle end the window without a single so-called ‘marquee’ signing.
Odysseas Vlachodimos and John Ruddy will be back ups to Nick Pope, while Lloyd Kelly, Will Osula and Lewis Hall may struggle to force their way into Eddie Howe’s first-choice XI.
Newcastle United fail to land Marc Guehi but keep Matt Targett
Hall, returning on a permanent basis after a difficult loan spell from Chelsea, is competing with the versatile Dan Burn and the experienced Matt Targett for the left-back spot.
The latter, HITC understands, was the subject of deadline day enquiries from both Leicester City and Fulham.
Newcastle wanted his full wages to be paid as part of a potential loan deal, however. And, in any case, they were not overly keen on moving on a player manager Eddie Howe likes.
Targett may have missed most of last term with hamstring and achilles injuries but, even when he was fit, he started only one of a potential 11 Premier League fixtures.
Now 28, the former England Under 21 international joined Newcastle for £15 million from Aston Villa two years ago after an initial loan deal.
Had he returned to Fulham – the club he represented briefly back in 2018 – Targett would likely have found himself playing a supporting role behind one of the division’s best left-sided full-backs in Antonee Robinson.
Leicester, however, could have offered him a far larger role. Victor Kristiansen has struggled at times during The Foxes’ first two games back in the big time, and spent the whole of 2023/24 in Italy with Bologna.
Eddie Howe still positive about Magpies future
The lack of improvements made to Newcastle’s XI may concern supporters worried about facing a stronger Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur this term.
Howe is refusing to let any frustrations bubble to the surface, however, explaining on Friday morning that Newcastle’s disappointing window is far from a death knell for the ambitious Saudi-backed project.
“I don’t think the dream dies, necessarily. It takes a lot longer. We have got to build our revenue streams, that is the biggest thing. Bring more money into the football club, however we do that; sponsorship, loads of things,” says Howe, who’s Newcastle side clearly did have some money to spend given that they offered Crystal Palace over £60 million for Guehi.
“That is the big thing we need to focus on in the next ten years. So the dream is not over, it is just going to take a lot, lot longer.”
“There are rules in place to stop that, stop club’s growing as quickly as we want to.”
Newcastle were forced to sell Elliott Anderson to Nottingham Forest and the electrifying Yankuba Minteh to Brighton and Hove Albion to stay clear of any Profit and Sustainability breaches.
“(PSG) impacts the ability to progress the club as quickly as maybe they wanted to. The inability to spend, and our need to comply with rules to prevent a points deduction,” Howe adds, broadcast on the club’s official YouTube channel.
“I think you can make an argument for (our squad being weaker now than in May). I’m not going to fight you too much. It’s all opinion-based. All I can do is say that we will try to get the very best out of the squad that we have.
“And that is my job.”
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