Aston Villa sent brutal two-word jibe after £15m Newcastle transfer

Former Newcastle United striker Louis Saha has claimed his old side are a 'bigger club' than Aston Villa when commenting on Matt Targett's switch from Villa Park to Tyneside.

Targett, 26, completed a £15 million move to join Eddie Howe's squad on a permanent basis this summer after enjoying a successful loan spell in black and white in the second half of the 2021-22 Premier League season. Targett made his intentions to leave clear after Villa secured the signing of French international Lucas Digne from Everton in January with the former Villa man targeting regular game time.

Former Everton and Manchester United striker Louis Saha has outlined his surprise at Steven Gerrard's eagerness to let go of Targett while also claiming the left-back has joined a 'bigger club' in the process.

Speaking to the bookmaker BoyleSports, he said: “I'm surprised Steven Gerrard let Matt Targett go so easily, but when you have a player like him whose desire is to move to a bigger club like Newcastle then you have to respect that.

“The fans will have to see how things go next season. I really hope Matt enjoys his football because he's already shown that he's a quality player.”