Journo drops NUFC transfer claim on ace who is club's best left-back "in the last 15 years"

Transfer insider Dean Jones believes that Newcastle are tracking the progress of Aston Villa left-back Matt Targett.

Eddie Howe has already made two January signings in Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood, but is yet to bring in a left-back, with his options limited on that side of the pitch.

The 26-year-old has been Aston Villa's first-choice left-back from pretty much the moment he made the £11m switch from Southampton two-and-a-half years ago.

Targett has made 89 appearances in total for the Villa Park outfit, but the defender has recently lost his place in the team following the arrival of Lucas Digne from Everton.

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He had started 17 of the first 19 Premier League games this season, and seven of the first eight of Steven Gerrard's reign. But since Digne came in, the £15.3m-rated full-back has seen himself drop to the bench.

Newcastle themselves were interested in signing Digne, although they came up short and Jones thinks that Howe has now turned his attention to Targett, who ex-Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor described as the best left-back Aston Villa have had for 15-years.

He told GIVEMESPORT: "I know they've looked at Matt Targett's situation at Villa in case they could do something there."

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Signing Targett wouldn't bring the same excitement as Trippier, but he could prove equally as important.

Newcastle have been struggling in the left-back area for some time, highlighted by the fact that Paul Dummett started there at Leeds on Saturday. Howe's other options are Jamal Lewis, who's been out of favour this season, making just three Premier League