West Ham United held an interest in Southampton defender Matt Targett before it was revealed Aston Villa had agreed to a deal, according to the Telegraph.
The newspaper claimed on their website that the Hammers held a strong interest in the 23-year-old alongside Newcastle United and Fulham.
The Telegraph report that Villa have agreed a £14million fee which could potentially rise to £17million, and should complete a move at the beginning of next week.
Targett enjoyed a decent last season but became increasingly frustrated with his back-up role to Ryan Bertrand at St Mary’s. The young wing-back only managed to make 13 Premier League appearances, along with three extra outings off the bench.
OPINION
In all honesty, it would come as no surprise should Manuel Pellegrini not be all that bothered about missing out on Targett. There is no disputing the fact that the 23-year-old has shown great promise for the Saints, but do West Ham really need him? To be honest, not at all – with both Arthur Masuaku and Aaron Cresswell already at the London Stadium, there was no real need to launch an offer. Should Targett have been available for a relatively cheap price then Pellegrini could have been tempted, but to pay £17million to strengthen a position that already has a couple of options, that would be ludicrous. It has been reported that the Hammers have prioritised a striker in the remainder of the transfer window, with Mario Husillos more likely to be stressed over that than missing out on a left-back that has yet to complete a full season in the Premier League.
