Pundit and former Premier League manager Alex McLeish has been reacting to an update on Newcastle United’s permanent swoop for Aston Villa left-back Matt Targett, Football Insider report.
The Lowdown: Targett impressing at St. James’ Park
Eddie Howe brought in the 26-year-old on loan late in the January transfer window. Targett has been a regular since then, playing every minute possible in the Premier League other than being forced to sit out in the 1-0 win over his parent club last month.
The left-back has helped The Magpies pick up 13 points from a possible 15, with Lee Ryder reporting in the week that an agreement in principle is already in place over a permanent move north.
The Latest: McLeish reacts
McLeish, who contributes for BBC Radio 5 Live, was talking to Football Insider regarding Targett and the news of a likely full-time transfer.
He labelled Targett as a ‘very consistent player’ and said it would be ‘another shrewd signing’ by the club.
“A very, very consistent player. I watched him at Fulham and he’s been a regular for Villa as well.
“For me, it’s another shrewd signing for a guy who now has got a hell of a lot of experience in the division.
“He is looking like a really good player. You can see Newcastle have got an extremely high confidence level. When you get three points on the board, you can’t wait until the next week.
“All of a sudden that confidence soars. The signings that they’ve made have been shrewd.”
The Verdict: No brainer
Ryder believes a fee for Targett will be in the region of £15m, with Villa already looking at back-up replacements for the Englishman.
He appears to be at the top of his game with a career-high £15.3m Transfermarkt valuation, so a permanent move at this time appears to be a no brainer.
As per WhoScored, Targett is the club’s third-best performer this season behind Kieran Trippier and Allan Saint-Maximin, and it is good to know that an agreement is already in place in what looks set to be a busy summer window.
In other news: Staveley now actively working on free transfer deal for Howe; target shares same agent as Fraser.