After missing out on European football following Manchester United’s FA Cup win, Newcastle United will reportedly need to raise funds this summer to avoid any issues regarding Financial Fair Play.
The Magpies thought they had sealed a place in the Europa Conference League with United left with the daunting task of defeating rivals Manchester City at Wembley, but the Red Devils soon caused an upset to spoil Newcastle’s party and qualify for the Europa League themselves. Without European football, the task of keeping hold of Bruno Guimaraes and others just became that much harder.
Newcastle will be keen to keep hold of their star midfielder, but with the likes of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain reportedly interested this summer, they could face an uphill battle if they submit the right offer. And he may not be the only one heading for the exit door, either, after the Magpies already confirmed the exits of Loris Karius, Paul Dummett, Matt Ritchie, Jeff Hendrick and Kell Watts upon the expiry of their contracts.
According to The Athletic, Newcastle are also ready to listen to offers for Matt Targett this summer following the left-back’s injury concerns and failure to regain his place in Eddie Howe’s starting side. His exit would also clear plenty of space in Newcastle’s wage bill, given that he reportedly earns a hefty £100k-a-week.
He will soon get his move after changing agents to force an exit.
Despite losing his starting place, Targett always had the backing of Howe, who shut down any January exit rumours, saying via The Scottish Sun back in the winter window: “No, incorrect, you’re way off. Matt is injured and has still got some way to go in his injury. He’s also a big part of what we’re doing here.”
Things have now seemingly taken a U-turn, however, and the right offer will see the left-back leave the club in the coming months.
If Newcastle are to consistently qualify for European football – be that the Europa Conference League, Europa League or Champions League, then upgrading on the likes of Targett should be seen as the key. As much as Howe did previously label the left-back as “outstanding”, question marks still remain over his ability to stay fit and then perform at the highest level.
With Lloyd Kelly arriving too, there will arguably no longer be a need for the cover that Targett provides for Dan Burn. Instead, Kelly can use his versatility to step into both the centre-back role and cover down the left-hand side, while Lewis Hall is trying to break his way into the first XI as well.
With that said, it remains to be seen whether the current Newcastle man will have potential suitors in the coming months willing to offer Newcastle whatever they deem to be the right price. Targett is certainly Premier League quality, but seemingly not in line to stay put at St James’ Park ahead of next season.
