Report: Newcastle insiders are starting to suggest £15m player might well start this season

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Matt Targett was a peripheral figure during Newcastle United’s spectacular 2022/23 season.

While he began the campaign in Eddie Howe’s starting lineup, it was a different story when May rolled around and the Magpies were celebrating qualifying for the Champions League.

Targett ended up being a backup player for Newcastle, with Dan Burn making the left-back role his own during a season that will live long in the memory for Toon fans.

It was Targett’s first full season as a permanent Newcastle player, having joined the club from Aston Villa for £15million after a very successful loan spell. But injury, illness and the form of Burn meant that Targett was unable to build on a strong start to life in black and white.

And it did look like things were going to become even tougher for Targett, with Newcastle looking to sign another left-back. Kieran Tierney was heavily linked, and a deal for the Arsenal man would have pushed Targett even further down the pecking order.

But the Scotland international is yet to arrive, while Targett is closer than ever to winning back his place in Howe’s starting XI.

Matt Targett could win Newcastle’s left-back race

According to the Chronicle, some people within the club believe that Targett is actually now ahead of Burn in the race to be Newcastle’s starting left-back when the new season kicks off in less than two weeks.

The Magpies face Aston Villa on August 12th, and Howe has plenty of decisions to make regarding his starting XI.

Most would assume that the left-back role would go to Burn, but the Chronicle’s update suggests that it is not quite as clear cut as that.

That is good news for Targett, who has endured a really frustrating year since permanently swapping Villa Park for St James’ Park.

He has either been on the bench or not involved at all, but that could soon be about to change. The 27-year-old has done well in pre-season, and it could result in him winning back the position that he made his own when he first arrived in January 2022.