Matt Targett joins Newcastle on loan from Aston Villa

Newcastle have confirmed the signing of Aston Villa left-back Matt Targett on loan for the rest of the season.

The Magpies had been searching high and low for a new left-sided full-back in January as the club’s new owners look to bolster the back line in a bid to stave off the threat of relegation.

A whole host of names have been linked, including Atalanta’s Robin Gosens and Lucas Digne of Everton. However, having missed out on their primary targets to Inter and Villa respectively, Newcastle turned to Targett.

The former Southampton left-back ironically became available because of Digne’s £25m switch to Villa Park, which was certain to limit his game time under Steven Gerrard.

90min revealed on Sunday that talks with Targett’s representatives were progressing well after Villa granted permission for the deal to go ahead, and the 26-year-old has now sealed a move to St. James’ Park until the end of the season.

“I’m delighted to be here. I can’t wait to get going and meet all the fans and hopefully we can have a successful end to the season,” Targett told Newcastle’s official website.

“My family have friends here and they’ve always said it’s a football-mad city, so to experience it and be part of it – I’m really looking forward to it.”

Manager Eddie Howe added: “We have gone into this transfer window with a plan to add strong competition in specific areas of the team and Matt will be a fantastic option for us on the left.

“He has important Premier League experience and know-how at this level, so I’m really pleased we’ve been able to add him to the squad.”

Targett had made 19 appearances for the Villans in 2021/22, scoring and assisting once, but he hadn’t featured in the Premier League since Digne’s arrival – alerting Newcastle to his potential availability.

He is likely to go straight into Eddie Howe’s lineup for Newcastle’s huge game against Everton next Tuesday, displacing the long-serving Paul Dummett in the side.