Newcastle United could use Matt Targett as makeweight for £60m Southampton deal | OneFootball

Defender Matt Targett could return to Southampton as Newcastle United could use him in a deal to sign Tyler Dibling.

Reports on Saturday suggest Newcastle United could look to use defender Matt Targett as makeweight to secure a £60m move for Southampton's Tyler Dibling.

The former Aston Villa defender looks likely to be on the chopping block for the League Cup winners, as they look to get him off their wage bill ahead of the PSR health check deadline.

ChronicleLive reported on Saturday that the Magpies full-back earns a hefty £100,000 per week and still has a year remaining on his current deal in the North East.

Newcastle are reportedly keen to keep on top of their wage bill this summer, and Targett could well find himself out of the door. The full-back has played just 19 minutes of Premier League football so far this season, as injuries have plagued his campaign.

However, the report suggests that the Southampton academy graduate could be on his way back to St Mary's, as Newcastle could use him as part of a £60m deal for young prodigy Dibling.

Matt Targett could be used as a makeweight in £60m Southampton, Tyler Dibling deal

The left-back is in a tricky spot at his current club, as it seems he finds himself surplus to requirements, but is on big money, which will make it harder to sell Targett if that's what Newcastle desire to do.

However, a report from ChronicleLive has suggested that the Toon Army could look to use the defender as part of a £60m exchange deal to bring Southampton starlet Dibling to the club.

The Englishman has been a bright spark in a dismal season for the Saints, which has seen plenty of interest from Premier League clubs following Southampton's relegation to the Championship.

The Hampshire outfit initially valued the 19-year-old at £100m, which is well over anything any club would be willing to pay at this stage in his career.

Targett came through the Saints' academy, and could be keen to reunite with his former club where he took his first steps into professional football. Of course, the wages might be a stumbling block in any agreement between Targett and Southampton.

However, the deal would be beneficial for both parties as Newcastle get their man in Dibling whilst also getting a heavy hitter off the wage bill, and the Saints get back an experienced player and a hefty cash windfall in return.

Matt Targett facing Newcastle United decision

This summer will likely be decision time for Targett, as he enters the final 12-months of his Magpies contract. In the last two seasons, the defender has made just five Premier League appearances.

As per ChronicleLive, Targett is reportedly earning a hefty wage of £100,000 per week, which equates to over £5m per year. This means that over the past two years, Newcastle would've spent over £10m to have the defender play just 97 minutes of Premier League football.

The report suggested that this is something that the club could look to change in the summer, and get Targett off the wage bill ahead of the PSR health check deadline.

Last summer, United were forced to sell both Elliott Anderson and Yankuba Minteh to comply with PSR, and they won't want to run the risk of something like this happening again.

However, Targett is reportedly keen to see out the rest of his contract and fight for his place in Howe's squad. The difficult part of this is that he will face stiff competition from Lewis Hall, Tino Livarmento, and Dan Burn for the left-back position.

Until Southampton appoint a new manager, it's impossible to say what formation they will deploy in the second tier next season, and as such, whether a move back to St. Mary's would be a good fit for Targett in that regard.

But, what is known is that when fit, the full-back has proven himself to be a quality player both at Premier League and Championship level, and with bags of top flight experience under his belt, his profile would surely suggest he could be an excellent addition for a second tier side to make.