Newcastle close to deal for £15m full-back as talks ongoing for Hugo Ekitike

Newcastle hope to launch their summer recruitment drive within days by completing a permanent deal for full-back Matt Targett.

The 26-year-old Aston Villa defender enjoyed a successful loan spell on Tyneside during the second half of last season and the Magpies are said to be keen to tie up the transfer as soon as possible.

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It is understood the move would cost the club a total of £15milion, with the player’s £3million loan fee part of that figure under a framework established during initial talks.

Newcastle are hopeful that the deal could be done this week, but are taking nothing for granted after negotiating a tricky January transfer window during which they pulled the plug on a series of potential signings after failing to reach agreement following protracted discussions.

The club are also in ongoing talks over Reims striker Hugo Ekitike – one of the men they chased during the January transfer window.

That deal would be considerably more expensive, with reports suggesting the 19-year-old could cost the club’s 80 per cent Saudi-backed owners up to £36million plus add-ons.

Amanda Staveley’s consortium invested around £94million in a January spending spree which helped Eddie Howe guide his team to Premier League safety, but the head coach has repeatedly warned fans not to expect massive investment this summer as the hierarchy attempts to comply with profit and sustainability regulations.

The arrival of new sporting director Dan Ashworth has sparked a flurry of activity at St James’ Park, with midfielder Isaac Hayden joining Norwich on a season-long loan deal with a performance-related obligation to buy on Tuesday, the first of