Southampton are ready to send Matt Targett on loan and that has attracted interest from Aston Villa and Middlesbrough, according to the Sunday Mirror (August 19th, page 64).

What’s the word?

Aston Villa have faced difficulties in the market this summer but Steve Bruce is looking to rejuvenate his side in the final weeks of August before the loan market shuts – however, he is not the only manager with that idea.

Rivals in the Championship are also looking to secure talent on loan and Villa face a stern fight with Middlesbrough for the services of Southampton’s Matt Targett as the Sunday Mirror (August 19th, page 64) says the Saints are prepared to send the 22-year-old away from the south coast.

Targett spent the second half last season with Fulham, helping the Cottagers earn promotion to the Premier League, and Slavisla Jokanovic’s side then handed Aston Villa problems by swooping for Bristol City’s Joe Bryan.

With Villa short of options at left-back and Targett himself could be open to a move as first-team football with the Saints is difficult to come by due to competition with Ryan Bertrand.

Is he worth it?

The short answer is yes, as Targett’s arrival at Fulham in January kickstarted a superb run of form for the Cottagers that eventually ended with a long-awaited return to the Premier League. While Targett was not necessarily the star, he did provide a huge boost.

Crucially, Targett’s arrival allowed Ryan Sessegnon to play in a more advanced role down the left side and the pair created a deadly partnership en-route to the Championship playoff final, where Fulham overcame Aston Villa at Wembley.

Capped 12 times by England’s U21 side, Targett has the experience that Aston Villa need to help in their own promotion push and missing out on his services to Middlesbrough could prove to be disastrous at the end of the campaign.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”257600″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch Aston Villa’s opening fixtures for the 201819 Championship season”]