Two clubs offer Newcastle United’s £15m flop Premier League escape route

Just 11 minutes of Premier League action has made the 29-year-old surplus to requirements at St James' Park. Targett was signed on loan in January 2022 and initially proved a hit with supporters, playing a key role as Newcastle United survived relegation.

Toon chiefs made the deal permanent for around £15million but the move has, to put it bluntly, failed. An injury early into the 2022-23 campaign saw Dan Burn usurp him at left-back as Newcastle qualified for the Champions League.

Lewis Hall’s arrival further plunged Targett down the pecking order despite Eddie Howe taking time to nurture the youngster. Several injury setbacks saw Targett make three top-flight appearances all season to become a forgotten figure at St James’ Park.

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With 18 months left to run, he is one of the players the Toon hierarchy would love to shift off the books. NewcastleWorld reported last summer that the former Fulham, Southampton and Aston Villa star had been placed on the transfer list.

Wages are understood to be a stumbling block, with Targett reportedly one of Newcastle’s top-bracket earners. A return to Southampton was mooted but the defender ultimately stayed at the Magpies.

However, his career is now at a crossroads given the lack of game time under Eddie Howe. Alan Nixon now claims Targett is set for an exit this month, with Leicester and Brentford leading the hunt.

Both clubs know Newcastle cannot negotiate from a position of strength and would be keen to offload due to FFP/PSR constraints. A loan move may also be an option providing the deal makes sense for the Magpies.