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A free agent left-back is on the radar of both the Hammers and the Canaries - and he's had recent impressive Championship form

One of the Championship's top left-backs of the 2025-26 season is in-demand ahead of the new campaign, with two promotion-aspiring clubs in the mix for his services, Football League World can exclusively reveal.

Middlesbrough may have fallen short in the play-off final after their reprieve due to Spygate, but it was still a good season overall for loanee defender Matt Targett.

Signed from Newcastle United for the season, in what was the final year of his contract at St. James' Park, Targett was a regular across the entire campaign under both Rob Edwards and his successor Kim Hellberg, appearing 45 times in Championship and play-offs action.

Targett was also a scorer of four goals, with two of those coming in the same game away at Birmingham City, as well as notching four assists over the course of the campaign, and that record will make the 30-year-old a wanted man this summer on a free transfer, after Newcastle decided to let him go, four years after he joined the club for £15 million from Aston Villa.

Matt Targett eyed up by Championship duo after Middlesbrough loan stint

Described as 'outstanding' by Magpies boss Eddie Howe when he joined permanently following a short loan stint, Targett is now on the look for a new club, and he has some admirers in the second tier.

FLW understands that a pair of Middlesbrough's Championship rivals in the form of West Ham and Norwich City are in the mix when it comes to signing the left-back this summer, with both clubs eyeing moves for the ex-Southampton academy graduate.

West Ham are looking to rebuild after being relegated from the Premier League, with the future of Senegal international left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf uncertain going into the new campaign - FLW also revealed in late May that Sheffield United star Harrison Burrows was also on the radar of the recruitment team, but Targett is now also an option.

Norwich though are also in the running to land Targett's services, with Philippe Clement looking for more competition to younger options Ben Chrisene and Lucien Mahovo in that position.

A loan deal for Man United starlet Harry Amass for the second half of the season lasted just 15 minutes after he suffered a campaign-ending hamstring injury in training, and the Canaries are exploring both temporary and permanent options at left-back - Targett is one of those.

Norwich will be looking to be in the automatic promotion mix this coming season based on their form in the second half of 2025-26, where they picked up 44 points out of a possible 66 after the turn of the year, and they will now be hoping to potentially convince Targett to make the move to Norfolk over a switch to the capital.