Matt Targett triggers Aston Villa fans with Newcastle United comment following £12m move

The 26-year-old made his loan move from Aston Villa permanent with a four-year deal after helping the Magpies climb out of the relegation zone and leapfrog the Villains into 11th place in the Premier League table last season.

The deal is understood to cost £15million, including the initial loan fee Newcastle paid to Villa back in January.

“The loan went better than expected] for sure,” Targett said. “With the results we picked up, some of the performances and just in general with the group of players, it's a great bunch of lads and it just made everything so much easier.”

Despite playing two-and-a-half seasons at Villa and being voted as the club’s players’ player in 2020-21, Targett admitted that Newcastle’s dressing room is ‘the best’ he has been involved in as a player.

He told NUFC TV: “It's probably the best dressing room I've been in just in terms of how many players make you feel welcome, how many leaders there are so that was a massive part so it's a good group of lads.”

Those comments didn’t go down particularly well with certain sections of the Villa fan base, with one describing it as ‘a slap in the face for Villa players’.

Another fan added: “Disappointed he feels he needs to have a pop at his previous club! We are well rid and he is someone else’s problem now. See you next season Matty when [Emi] Buendia turns you inside out.”

Several supporters also predicted Targett ‘will get found out’ at Newcastle.

One wrote: “He bottled too many games for me, wasn’t up for it, lacked pace and was caught out of position far too much. He will get found out now he’s signed.”

Another commented: “This is coming from the player who may have been one of the weakest in terms of mentality I’ve ever seen at Villa. The man who looked to pass to Grealish every. Single. Attack. Average player who will be found out next season.”

But not all Villa fans had something negative to say about the departing left-back.

One tweeted: “Cheers Matt. You put in a solid shift for us . All the best going forward.”

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