Transfer news: £100k-p/w Newcastle man now facing uncertain future

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It seems a while ago now but Newcastle United have often been linked with a move for a new left-back.

Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney was strongly touted as a Newcastle target, with Eddie Howe reportedly eager to shift current starting option Dan Burn into a more central area.

While that is an interesting idea, it would leave Matt Targett in a strange position.

The £15m man is already back-up to Burn as it is and the arrival of Tierney or another player would only push him further down the pecking order.

Indeed, according to The Chronicle, there could be fresh questions on his standing in the squad.

New left-back high on the agenda – raising questions about Matt Targett

They suggest the signing of a new left-back is high on the agenda between now and the end of the transfer window.

That, in turn is likely to raise fresh questions over Targett’s future.

Were Newcastle to strengthen and have Burn working as a back-up all while moving his primary position into central defence, Targett’s first-team opportunities would look somewhat bleak.

A key figure in the team who stayed up during Howe’s first few months, the 27-year-old signed a reported £100k-per-week deal when turning his loan move from Aston Villa into a permanent arrangement.

This is the ruthless nature of elite-level football

It’s not as if Targett has played badly for Newcastle.

Burn, however, formed a pivotal part of the Premier League’s most solid defence last season and did little to tempt Howe into dropping him.

Clearly, Newcastle need a bigger squad to compete in the Champions League and to want to strengthen with a big signing again underlines just how ruthless they now must be.

Sadly for Targett, he’s already seen a more convincing option emerge and could soon have to deal with another. The same could well be said of Allan Saint-Maximin, who has been linked with a move away amid apparent interest in Harvey Barnes.

It’s all about constant improvement from here. That does not sound promising for a player already out of the first-team.