Aston Villa are reportedly planning to make a move for Southampton left-back Matt Targett.
According to a report from the Daily Echo, Southampton are reluctant to lose Matt Targett this summer amid links with Aston Villa, but the club accept that it is becoming increasingly unreasonable to keep the left-back and not play him regularly.
Targett’s future has become a talking point this summer, with The Sun reporting that the Villans are preparing a £10 million bid for the defender, while the Echo has suggested that Fulham have also made an enquiry.
The Echo notes that Ralph Hasenhuttl would like to keep Targett, but the Saints are aware that it will be difficult to justify keeping the academy graduate if he is going to remain Ryan Bertrand’s backup.
That could perhaps be good news for Villa, but the Echo adds that selling Bertrand could also prove to be an option with the club currently having no plans to offer the former Chelsea man a new long-term deal at any stage in the future.
Who will Southampton sell?
Bertrand has been an excellent servant for the Saints since arriving from Stamford Bridge. But there seems to have been a feeling amongst the fans that he has not quite been at his best for some time.
Nevertheless, it does appear that some supporters are not convinced that Targett has enough quality to fill the void if Bertrand moves on, and thus, they would rather see the Villa target sold this summer if one is going to leave.
