Matt Targett has proven to be a shrewd acquisition since his January arrival from Aston Villa. A failed move for Everton’s Lucas Digne - who replaced the 26-year-old in Steven Gerrard’s side - is turning out to be a blessing in disguise.
Newcastle United capitalised on a player desperate for first-team football by luring Targett to Tyneside on loan. Since then, he has started all but one game - the 1-0 win against his parent club - to cement himself as one of the first names on Eddie Howe’s team sheet.
The Magpies' vulnerabilities at left-back were often exposed before his arrival, with Matt Ritchie incapable of playing in a four-man defence, Paul Dummett’s injury woes continuing and Jamal Lewis deemed surplus to requirements. Now, Newcastle have a player who is an established Premier League-level operator at the peak of his powers - but for how long for?
ChronicleLive understands a potential £15million deal is already in place at the end of the season. However, in February, Targett refused to be drawn into speculation regarding his future, insisting he is focusing on the ‘here and now.’
Toon chiefs will undoubtedly have a contingency plan if a deal for the defender were to fall through. Here, we profile five alternatives the Magpies could move for if that were to happen.
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Owen Wijndal
Wijndal is excelling for AZ Alkmaar and, at 22-years-old, has already made nearly 100 Eredivisie appearances. With 11 Netherlands caps to his name, he would come with experience despite his tender age. Dutch giants Ajax are reportedly interested in Wijndal - who has made nine assists from defence this season.
His arrival would be one for the here and now but his ceiling is yet to be reached. Analytic site transfermarkt value him at £10.8million. With two years left on his contract, a deal certainly seems plausible.
Alejandro Grimaldo
The 26-year-old has reinvented himself after being shown the door by Barcelona in 2016. Benfica paid just £1million for the defender - whose value sky-rocketed to £32million in December 2019.
However, Grimaldo has one year left on his contract and Benfica may be keen to offload their asset or risk losing him for nothing. The Catalans have a sell-on clause if he were to be sold, which could add a few extra million onto his sale. A double swoop for Grimaldo and Darwin Nunez, anyone?
Juan Bernat
Another Spaniard, Bernat has been out of favour at PSG for several seasons. The 29-year-old would add experience to the Magpies backline, having played for Bayern Munich and made 11 appearances for Spain.
PSG will be looking to free up their wage bill - which is a staggering £5million per week - making a deal for Bernat plausible. He was once thought of as serious competition to dethrone Barcelona stalwart Jordi Alba for his national side but limited opportunities in France blocked his progression.
If Targett's move to Newcastle did break down, signing Bernat would be a solid replacement.
Mitchel Bakker
It is safe to say Bakker has had a unique career so far. At just 21-years-old, the Dutchman has represented Ajax, PSG and Bayer Leverkusen - where he currently plays. He arrived in Germany last summer for a cut-price fee after struggling to break into the team of superstars in Paris.
PSG do have a buy-back option, but Newcastle can offer guaranteed first-team football if Targett does not return. Reports linked the Magpies with a move for Bakker in January but Targett was brought in as a safe option - a move that paid dividends.
Miguel Gutierrez
The young Spaniard is a bright prospect but his path to the first team is blocked at Real Madrid. Gutierrez is enjoying a breakout season - where he has made four appearances for Los Blancos - but other cameos have been limited to the La Liga giant’s second string.
Gutierrez overcame inflammatory bowel disease in 2021 and Ancelotti has backed him to bounce back and achieve big things at the Bernabeu - handing him a Champions League debut earlier in the campaign. Newcastle could offer the talent first-team football and, if the last Gutierrez signed from Spain is anything to go by, the 19-year-old could quickly become a fan favourite.
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