Derby County are set to strengthen their squad with the signing of Matt Targett, who has left Newcastle United after his contract expired. The 30-year-old former England international has joined the Rams on a free transfer, bringing experience and quality to the club's left-back position. Targett, who spent last season on loan at Middlesbrough, has been linked with a move to Derby County for some time and has now finally joined the club. The signing of Targett is a major coup for Derby County, who are looking to build on their impressive performance last season. The club finished close to the play-offs in the Championship and are now looking to push for promotion to the Premier League. Targett's arrival is a significant boost to the team's chances of achieving this goal. The former Aston Villa full-back has plenty of experience of the Premier League and the Championship, and head coach John Eustace is keen to supplement exciting young talent with established professionals. Targett has been a key performer for Middlesbrough as they finished in the playoffs but fell short of winning promotion to the Premier League as they were beaten at Hull. It is believed that a return to the Riverside is not on the cards and Targett is unsure what lies in store. “The future? I’m not sure, to be honest. I believe I’m done at Newcastle so that chapter is closed. “It was really important to me that I could come here and prove I can play a full season with no injuries. I had a chat with Eddie Howe in January and he was so understanding about my situation, so I thank him for that. He knew it was beneficial for me, that I wanted to keep playing.”