Newcastle United have confirmed the permanent signing of left-back Matt Targett on a four-year deal from Aston Villa.
The 26-year-old joined the Magpies on loan from Villa for the second half of the 2021-22 season and played the full 90 minutes in 16 Premier League games, albeit without bagging a goal or assist.
Targett quickly cemented his place as Eddie Howe's first-choice left-back, and Newcastle were always expected to keep the defender on the books permanently.
The club have now announced that Targett has signed a four-year deal until the summer of 2026, and he leaves Aston Villa for a fee of £15m after a three-year spell in the West Midlands.
"I'm absolutely delighted to sign a four-year contract with this club," Targett told nufc.co.uk. "For me, it was an easy decision to make the loan permanent after the welcome I had from my fellow players, the staff, the supporters and the owners so I'm really happy to be here."
Head coach Howe added: "Matt had a fantastic impact after joining on loan in January and made a big contribution to some excellent team performances. He is a great lad and a top professional who undoubtedly makes us stronger so I'm delighted he sees his future here."
Targett rose through the ranks at Southampton before securing a permanent transfer to Villa in the summer of 2019, and he leaves the Lions after scoring three goals and setting up five more in 89 appearances across all tournaments.
The former Fulham loanee previously represented Scotland at Under-19 level before switching allegiance to England, turning out 13 times for the Young Lions' Under-21 side, but he is yet to make his senior international debut.
Ben Knapton
