Exclusive: Middlesbrough Keen to Make Matt Targett Move Permanent Amid Newcastle Recall Fears

Middlesbrough want to make Matt Targett’s deal permanent come the end of the season whether they get promoted to the Premier League or not, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.

The defender moved to the Riverside from Newcastle United on loan in the summer and has enjoyed a new lease of life in the Championship. 

Having fallen down the pecking order in Eddie Howe’s squad, Targett was desperate for regular football as he entered the final year of his deal with the Magpies.

And the 30-year-old has impressed during his time on Teesside and helped put the club firmly in the frame for a long-awaited return to the Premier League after a decade away. 

Boro are hopeful they are at the front of the queue when it comes to Targett committing his future to a new club at the end of the season and our sources understand tentative talks have already been held behind the scenes.

Middlesbrough had been concerned about losing star midfielder Aidan Morris amid strong links to Celtic, but those rumours have since cooled following the sacking of Wilfried Nancy.

Recall Fears

Newcastle are currently in the midst of a defensive crisis with a number of stars in the treatment room and the club hold a recall clause in Targett’s loan deal, although Howe admits they need to consider the players’ needs as well as their own. 

Targett opened up about his frustration at a lack of opportunities during the past couple of seasons when he signed for Boro in the summer.

Middlesbrough boss Kim Hellberg, who took over after Rob Edwards’ left for Wolves, said: “When he's played, he's been very, very good. He's been top with his movement, top with the ball. He's a very intelligent player with a brilliant left foot so he's been fantastic.”

“I would say it's looking the same to me. When I talk to him, when I look at him, I see him play, when I see him with the boys, when I see him on the pitch, he looks like he enjoys his time here.”