Aston Villa are preparing to launch a bid for Southampton left-back Matt Targett, according to the Express and Star.
The outlet reports that the 23-year-old is on the newly-promoted side’s list of defensive targets for the summer as Dean Smith looks to bolster his backline.
An £8m offer could now be made, with Targett being earmarked as someone who could come in and provide Neil Taylor competition in that left-back position.
Averaging 1.7 tackles, which was the same Taylor managed, and 1.7 interceptions per game last season, Targett certainly looks like an equally capable alternative to the Welshman (as per WhoScored).
In fact, looking at his 1.4 crosses and 1.4 key passes, you can even argue he would be an upgrade going forward, with Taylor averaging significantly less (0.6 and 0.3 respectively).
Given Ryan Bertrand’s age and the speculation surrounding his future, though, the Saints should probably not rush into sanctioning anything just yet.
Should he depart for either club, Ralph Hasenhuttl will need a new first-choice left-back — and Targett looks more than capable of succeeding the England international.
As with Taylor, Targett comes out on top against Bertrand for interceptions (1.7 to 1.2), key passes (1.4 to 1), and crosses (1.4 to 0.9).
When you consider all of that, Targett looks like a pretty well-rounded full-back who appears to have enough about him to do Bertrand’s job in the long run.
Southampton fans, should the club sell Targett to Aston Villa this summer? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!
