Liverpool have approached Southampton over possibly signing defender Matt Targett, according to 90min.
The football outlet claim the Reds have made contact with the Saints regarding the 23-year-old left-back by enquiring about his services as they’re in the market for a new full-back after opting not to renew Alberto Moreno’s contract.
90min report that Targett has been encouraged by England’s coaching staff to seek regular first-team action in order to help him break into Gareth Southgate’s squad, but is still likely to listen to what Liverpool have to offer despite them seeing him as a possible understudy for Andy Robertson.
OPINION
Targett, who earns £35,000-a-week currently (Source: Spotrac), featured 21 times for Southampton in his 2018/19 campaign and assisted three goals in the process. While 21 appearances sound like a respectable amount, it’s worth noting he only played 90 minutes in one of the Saint’s last 12 league games of the season. So it’s understandable why England’s coaches want him to go to a side where he is a first-team regular as he’s needs to be featuring every week to have any chance of earning his first senior England cap. Targett, 23, definitely has potential to be a great player in the Premier League but he shouldn’t go to Anfield to reach that goal. While the flyer may be tempted to play for a team competing at the top end of the table as well as featuring in the Champions League, there’s no way he’d be able to leapfrog Robertson in the pecking order. The 25-year-old Scotland international was a key member of Jurgen Klopp’s side in his latest campaign, and is one of the first-names on the teamsheet as a result.
