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Villa Get Their Targett
Monday, 1st Jul 2019 12:10

It has been officially announced that Matt Targett has joined Aston Villa after 15 years at St Mary's after joining Saints as an 8 year old.

Matt Targett has joined Aston Villa for a fee said to be in the region of £15 million and should leave with the best wishes of Saints fans ringing in his ears.

Indeed it is a decent fee for the full back and good business for Saints in a position that they are still strong in even after his departure, there can be no criticism at the club over the way they have handled this one

Targett was a decent player and made his first team debut under Ronald Koeman in 2014/15 and looked to be one for the future even at a tender age.

However his second season under Koeman although paying a lot of games saw him fall out of favour with talk of Koeman being harsh on the youngster and knocking his confidence.

Injury didn't help and his third season as a first team player saw him miss most of it injured.

In 2017/18 he went out on loan to Fulham and started to truly look like the player he had promised to be in 2014, last season he let no one down and as his fee and the number of clubs chasing him testify, some Saints fans might underrate him but others away from St Mary's do.

Matt Targett has suffered plenty of bad luck during the last 5 years that restricted his Premier League appearances to just 36 starts plus another 7 as sub, but perhaps his worst luck is now, at 23, turning 24 in September he needs game time, but for this season at least he is not quite as good as Ryan Bertrand, so would face at least one more season as mainly back up.

Add to that he is not the type of player that Ralph Hasenhuttl is looking for, Targett is more a traditional left back, a good reader of the game and a terrific passer of the ball, but Ralph looks for more pace along the flanks from his full backs and Targett hasn't quite got the engine to get up and down for the entire 90 minutes.

That is not a slur on him, just a fact of nature, Matt will find his niche in the right formation in the Premier League and I would not be surprised if he went on to win an England cap.

Perhaps we might rue selling him, but sadly he is in the wrong place at the wrong time for his career at St Mary's and with both Bertrand and highly rated academy left back Jake Vokins coming through this is a transfer that perhaps player and club did not truly want, but both knew had to happen.

So good luck Matt Targett in your new start at Aston Villa.

Photo: Action Images



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saintmark1976 added 12:35 - Jul 1
So,we now have an injury prone, shortly out of contract Ryan Bertrand and an untested youngster contesting the left back position whilst letting a mid twenties proven player go for a fee " in the region of " £15 million. Sorry Nick, but I for one don't see this as good business.

Time will tell I suppose but " Perhaps we might rue selling him " could well be the case.

On a slightly different but hopefully connected note, any news on our bidding war with Birmingham City?

-4

A1079 added 12:46 - Jul 1
Personally I would not have sold him over Bertrand. I think the latter looked largely disinterested when he played last season and in the final games of the season he could not be bothered to track back and this was highlighted on MOTD particularly against Newcastle. I also think we have sold a player who was coming good, against players who will never ever make it at Saints .

Nevertheless, I concede that the deal has been done and the fee is not bad for a player that was not completely established at PL level and the sale has clearly been made to enable the purchase of Adams. I recognise currently we need to sell to be able to build - just a pity it was not one of the players less likely to contribute to our future as a team and a club.

I wish Matt well. A decent guy and a decent player who has a bright future ahead of him.

0

DorsetIan added 13:19 - Jul 1
Really sad to see him go. He contributed some really great crosses last season and his goal against Bournemouth was one my highlights of the year. Good luck to him.
3

NewburySaint added 13:21 - Jul 1
Good luck Matt.

Great piece of business though for a player who had a great opportunity but never really took it of becoming 1st choice in Bertrand's long absence last season......
4

SaintBrock added 14:16 - Jul 1
Glad to see the back of him. Not the brightest. Never going to get any better here, too much in his comfort zone.
3

aceofthebase added 17:47 - Jul 1
Speedier than Bertrand, more attacking than Bertrand, better crosses than Bertrand and a thousand time more interested than Bertrand. Sorry to see him go, others should have been moved on before him including Bertrand.
0

halftimeorange added 17:59 - Jul 1
One-paced, one-footed - anyone who's seen Jake Vokins will know why this deal was done. I wish MT all the best but he just isn't quite up to the standard Saints require.
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