Newcastle United have made left-back Matt Targett the club's first signing of the summer transfer window after agreeing to make his loan from Aston Villa a permanent deal for a £15M fee including a £3M loan fee for last season on a 4-year contract:

Nicknamed 'The Sherminator, the left-back has been a popular figure since arriving on Tyneside in January charged with the task of keeping Newcastle in The Premier League and alongside Geordie Dan Burn slotted into effortlessly into The Magpies defence and helped lift the club to an 11th place finish after a superb 9-game unbeaten run.

Targett was equally popular with teammates as supporters and football pundits with Bruno Guimaraes making a point after the last home game of the season - the win against Arsenal - of saying "Newcastle need to keep this man" to the TV cameras.

The 26 year old who has played 124 Premier League games for Southampton, Aston Villa and Newcastle is currently undergoing a medical on Tyneside and the deal set to be announced shortly after.

Newcastle allowed long-serving stalwart midfielder Isaac Hayden join Norwich on loan

yesterday as deals start to happen thick and fast since new Sporting Director Dan Ashworth began his job on Monday. Exciting times for all Newcastle fans. HWTL.