Southampton Left-Back Matthew Targett Signs for Fulham on Loan for the Remainder of the Season

Matthew Targett has completed a loan move to Fulham which will see him stay at Craven Cottage until the end of the season.

The 22-year-old Saints full back is seeking more first team football, and will hope he can contribute to Fulham's promotion push in the final months of the season. 

After racking up 42 appearances for the Saints over three seasons, the Englishman has only played twice this season, playing second fiddle to Ryan Bertrand. 

Although more likely to get minutes at the London club, Targett will now have to compete with Ryan Sessegnon for a starting spot. The 17-year-old has recently been attracting interest from Tottenham, Manchester United, and Real Madrid.

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The signing may be Fulham's way of preparing for life after Sessegnon. Speaking to his new club, Targett said: ''I’m really happy to be here, I am looking forward to helping the side push on to the play-offs.

''One of the main reasons I joined is that Club is in a great place at the moment and the results have been fantastic. I can’t wait to be a part of that.''

Fulham currently sit seventh in the Championship, just one point outside the play-off spots. They are looking to strengthen in January to fuel their bid to return to the Premier League, and Vice-Chairman Tony Khan seemed pleased with this particular bit of business: He said when speaking to the club's website:

''Matt is a talented young player, and he will be an exciting addition to our squad.

''He brings Premier League experience with him, and we feel that he can be a valuable contributor to our team as we continue to push for promotion.''