Matt Targett: Aston Villa sign defender from Southampton

Matt Targett made 21 appearances for the Saints in all competitions in 2018-19

Aston Villa have signed Southampton left-back Matt Targett for an undisclosed fee.

Targett, 23, has ended a 15-year association with his boyhood club to join Dean Smith's Villa side, who were promoted to the Premier League in May.

"Aston Villa is a club on the up, definitely. Dean, the gaffer, is building something special here," Targett told the club website.

Targett made 21 appearances for the Saints in all competitions in 2018-19.

Smith said: "We're very pleased to have Matt join us. He's a player we have been looking at for a considerable amount of time.

"He fits our criteria of being a young player with experience of playing in the Premier League and having the potential to develop further."

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