Matt Targett has had meeting with Eddie Howe to discuss what next? – Report | OneFootball

When the January 2022 transfer window came along, not many, if any, Newcastle United fans had Matt Targett on their list of hopeful targets. Never mind near the top of any list.

However, with Steven Gerrard signing Digne from Everton, Matt Targett went from automatic first choice to automatically on the bench for the rest of the season, barring injury.

The 26 year old left-back subsequently deciding he had to leave, at least temporarily, for regular football and on January transfer window deadline day joined Newcastle United until the end of the 2021/22 season.

Making his debut in Newcastle’s 3-1 win over Everton on 8 February 2022, Matt Targett has played every minute of every match for NUFC in this run-in, apart from having to miss the win over Villa.

Newcastle fans have loved him, along with Dan Burn seen by many supporters as the two new players who have been most important in improving the defence AND the incredible run of results. The 16 starts for Matt Targett have seen ten wins and a draw, 31 points from 16 matches at an average of just a fraction under two points per game.

They say don’t fall in love with loan players but surely Matt Targett is a permanent signing no-brainer…

Well, Thursday morning has seen an update from the usually reliable Athletic.

They say that their information is that on Friday, there was a meeting held between Eddie Howe and Matt Targett.

The pair discussing the player’s situation and the possibility of a permanent move. However, the Athletic say that the outcome of that meeting was that Matt Targett was told that he is very much in Newcastle United’s / Eddie Howe’s thoughts for this summer transfer window, BUT that a final decision on a permanent move is still yet to be made.

The Athletic saying that the basics of a deal are in place, with a transfer of around £15m already loosely agreed, that would include the January onwards loan fee.

However, they also say that Eddie Howe and his recruitment team are also looking at other left-back options, weighing up whether a more attack-minded left-back is needed.

One of those more attacking left-backs under discussion, is Renan Lodi, according to the Athletic.

The 24 year old plays currently for Atletico Madrid and is Brazil international, Kieran Trippier of course knowing him well as they won La Liga together last season at the Spanish club.

Another player who knows Renan Lodi VERY well, is Bruno Guimaraes.

The pair were together as young players for some years at Athletico Paranaense in Brazil, before Lodi joined Atletico Madrid for £17m in June 2019, then seven months later Bruno G followed his mate to Europe when signing for a similar size fee at Lyon in January 2020.

When it comes to the summer transfer market frenzy in the media, always difficult to pick out the genuine small number of stories that look to have substance.

This report from the Athletic on a potential choice of Matt Targett or Renan Lodi, swiftly follows claims from The Times that their information is the Newcastle United owners are going to back Eddie Howe with a bid of around £50m for Lucas Paqueta to play in midfield alongside Joelinton and Bruno G.

Whatever does or doesn’t end up happening, this is all a world away from the media telling us in a number of transfer windows, that Mike Ashley had refused to sanction a loan deal for Leicester’s Hamza Choudhury…