A major update has emerged on Newcastle's pursuit of Matt Targett heading into the summer transfer window...

What's the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, the Magpies are set to close a £12m deal for the English left-back following his loan spell at St. James' Park last season.

The report claims that they have already held talks over a move and Dan Ashworth is now on the verge of his first deal as the club's sporting director.

Eddie Howe will be buzzing

This update will surely leave the head coach buzzing as Targett will be a good addition to the team heading into next season.

The full-back was a solid player for the Magpies in the second half of the 2021/22 campaign and the boss knows exactly what he is going to get from the former Southampton man.

Upon Targett's arrival on loan in January, Howe said: "We have gone into this transfer window with a plan to add strong competition in specific areas of the team and Matt will be a fantastic option for us on the left.

"He has important Premier League experience and know-how at this level, so I'm really pleased we've been able to add him to the squad."

These comments from January back up why he will now be buzzing that the defender is set to return on a permanent basis. He is a proven top-flight performer and will be a reliable, consistent, option for the head coach at left-back.

In 2021/22, Targett averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 6.96 across 33 starts in the Premier League for Villa and Newcastle combined. This shows that he is capable of delivering superb displays on a regular basis at the top level.

Defensively, he made himself a rock at the back. The full-back averaged a whopping 3.8 tackles and interceptions and 1.8 clearances per game in the top-flight. He has shown that he can cut out opposition attacks to win possession for his side multiple times throughout matches.

Targett can also offer some creativity going forwards. He created five 'big chances' in the Premier League last season and made 1.2 key passes per game, showing that he also has the potential to make an impact at the top end of the pitch.

Howe will now be buzzing with Ashworth's work to close in on a deal for the left-back and will be looking forward to working with him again next term.

AND in other news, Ashworth "looking" at Newcastle deal for "clever" £75m gem, he can be Howe's own Salah...