Aston Villa agree loan deal with Newcastle for Matt Targett
Villa defender Matt Targett has joined Newcastle United on loan for the rest of the season.
In the most high-profile deal involving Villa on deadline day, the 26-year-old has been allowed to leave for the Premier League strugglers in order to get more playing time.
Targett had been Villa’s first-choice left-back since arriving from Southampton in 2019 and was named players’ player of the season for the 2020-21 campaign.
But the arrival of Lucas Digne in a £25million deal from Everton earlier this month saw the 26-year-old immediately come out of the starting XI.
Newcastle, currently sat in the relegation zone, expressed their interest in him last week and a loan switch was thrashed out over the weekend.
With Villa having signed versatile defender Calum Chambers from Arsenal last week, boss Steven Gerrard believes he has sufficient cover behind new first-choice Digne.
The France international was one of four senior players signed this month together with Chambers, Philippe Coutinho and goalkeeper Robin Olsen.
Villa’s deadline day has been dominated by departures with back-up keeper Jed Steer joining Luton on loan, while teenage right-back Kaine Kesler Hayden has gone to MK Dons for the rest of the season.
Winger Trezeguet is also expected to join Istanbul Basaksehir before the Turkish transfer window closes next week.
