‘He Knew’ – Newcastle United Out-on-loan Star Hails Eddie Howe | OneFootball

Matt McNulty/Getty Images

Newcastle United out-on-loan defender Matt Targett has thanked manager Eddie Howe for understanding his situation and letting him stay at Middlesbrough for the campaign.

Targett arrived at Middlesbrough from Newcastle on a season-long loan in the 2025 summer transfer window; he had been tipped to join Leeds United six months’ earlier.

The 30-year-old defender has been a key man at the Riverside, first under Rob Edwards and then Kim Hellberg, with Middlesbrough flying high and pushing to win promotion up to the Premier League.

During the January transfer window, it was suggested that Newcastle were considering bringing Targett back to St James’ Park, with left-back Tino Livramento ruled out through injury.

However, with Targett enjoying his loan spell at the Riverside and pushing for the Championship title, manager Howe decided not to trigger the recall option after a positive conversation with the player.

Targett revealed that boss Howe understood his situation and how beneficial it would be for him to keep playing at Boro, which he is thankful for.

The 30-year-old thanked Howe, but revealed that he considers his time at Newcastle to be finished, though he is unsure what the next step in his career will be.

Targett was quoted as saying by journalist Keith Downie: “I had a chat with Eddie in January and he was so understanding about my situation, so I thank him for that.

“He knew it was beneficial for me…that I wanted to keep playing.

“The future? I’m not sure to be honest. I believe I’m done at Newcastle so that chapter is closed.”

During his time with the Magpies, Targett has made 47 appearances and chipped in with two assists in four seasons, as his game time was limited due to injuries.

Middlesbrough could look to keep hold of Targett beyond the end of the season and if Boro win promotion to the Premier League then they may well want to depend on his experience.

The defender has 164 outings in the Premier League to his name.

Targett’s loan spell at Boro will expire in May 2026 and his contract with the Magpies will come to an end in June 2026, meaning he will become a free agent.

At the moment, the 30-year-old will want to finish the season in the best way possible and then assess all his options before making a decision about his future.