Middlesbrough urged against fresh Newcastle United transfer - 'Look at Sunderland' | OneFootball

Middlesbrough have been warned off making a move for Newcastle United defender Matt Targett on a permanent basis.

Middlesbrough remain in the hunt for automatic promotion back to the Premier League but the Smoggies have hit a tough patch of form just at the wrong time.

Former Hammarby boss Kim Hellberg has done an excellent job since replacing Rob Edwards, who departed for Wolverhampton Wanderers in November, but ‘Boro have now won just two of their last eight matches since hitting the top-of-the-table.

As they approach the run-in after the March international break, they do sit in second place, just two points ahead of Ipswich Town and Millwall; with the former also having a game-in-hand.

There is some real quality in their squad, especially with Hayden Hackney being one of the best players in the division, if not the best, but promotion would still then require a busy summer transfer window.

Some players have thrived this season, notably Matt Targett on loan from Newcastle United, but there some are not convinced that a permanent move should be forced through by the Teessiders.

Middlesbrough encouraged to look beyond Matt Targett

The experienced Matt Targett joined on loan from Newcastle last summer and has been a key man for ‘Boro, both under Rob Edwards and then Kim Hellberg.

While acknowledging the impact he has had and the quality that he has, FLW’s Middlesbrough Fan Pundit Liam Day does not believe he is the calibre of player that ‘Boro should be targeting should they eventually gain promotion.

Liam says: “Personally, I don’t think he’s of the quality for the Premier League.

“He’s done well with us in the Championship but he’s getting on with age now. He might be good for the dressing room and if you can get a cheap deal then he’d be a good back up maybe.

“Going forward, he’s been one of our best players and when he does get the freedom to go forward, he can create something out of nothing.

“He’s got that ‘Premier League quality’ some might say, but currently I think we need better quality and I don’t think he is the standard we should be looking at, personally.

“For a dressing room leader, I think he’d be fine with players like Luke Ayling – are they going to be good enough. I think we need to replace the locking room leaders.

“You look at Sunderland, they signed Granit Xhaka. A quality player that may be coming towards the end of his career but that’s the sort of player I’d hope we’d be looking for and I don’t think Matt Targett fits that bill.”

Matt Targett would provide Middlesbrough with Premier League experience

Eastleigh-born Targett came through the famed Southampton academy and made 43 appearances in the top-flight for Saints, while representing both Scotland and England at youth international level.

In the 2017/18 campaign, he spent time out on loan at Fulham and was key for the Cottagers as they gained promotion via the play-offs before returning to the south coast.

In the summer of 2019, newly-promoted Aston Villa opted to add Targett to their ranks and he was again key for them, too, helping them re-establish themselves as furniture in the top-flight, even being awarded the Players’ Player of the Season award in 2021.

After moving to Newcastle after the Saudi Public Investment Fund takeover, he then helped the Magpies stay up and formed part of their squad that would go on to qualify for the UEFA Champions League in the 2022/23 campaign.

In the Premier League, Targett has played for three clubs and made 164 appearances, which is quite a lot for a Middlesbrough squad that is reliant on Luke Ayling for real Premier League experience – and even that is limited to just 73 appearances for Leeds United between 2020 and 2023.