Remember those endless weekends when you wake up on a Monday morning to find out that good old Matty Cash has been in the team of the week ‘again’?… These priceless little moments for Forest fans could be sadly long forgotten over time as Forest’s fabulous right back looks set to leave the club with Premier League sides hovering over his cheeky faced head.
In truth, I don’t think Matty Cash ‘wants’ to go… A loyal boy he has given Nottingham Forest his all over the years, but cash pays the rent and during pressing times it would seem silly to turn any ‘reasonable’ offer down for the Slough born youngster.
The 22 year old has been one of the star performers under Sabri Lamouchi over the last 12 months and despite a horrible ending to the season that we all need to forget, Cash has consistently shone as one of the best players in his position in the Championship division since day dot.
We all know Cash is not just a right back, a dynamic midfielder or wide man by trade that stepped in initially under Martin O’Neill as wing back, he’s been asked to do a job and rather than sulk it up and throw his toys out of the pram saying ‘I want to play here or there’ he’s instead lapped it up, made it his own and proved that he’s better than everyone else at it too. The sort of credentials perhaps that are needed to make it at a decent level in the game.
That decent level is the Premier League and as West Ham United, Sheffield United, Aston Villa, Southampton, Burnley, and seemingly everybody else outside the top six last season, flirt with interest, it looks only to be certain that a player with 141 reds appearances will soon leave for pastures new.
Rumours start from £10m with £12m a realistic compromise to £15m+ that would break the clubs record for a transfer fee received (Britt Assombalonga to Middlesbrough)… It seems London would suit the players lifestyle and West Ham would be favourites, but personal terms could easily be swayed by who pays the most.
For Forest to get cash for Cash would not be the end of the world, in losing a great player, a great boy, a great lad in the dressing room they still have an understudy that is a proper right back who the club may now get the best out of? Should Carl Jenkinson stay clear of injury the one time England International now 28 could make the position his own and that money for Cash could be spent elsewhere.
Part of that money said, could also be used to add more attacking threat, with Joe Lolley also rumoured for availability with £8m interest from Aston Villa it could mean the Reds lose two of their best players but with it some financial compensation that they’ll need to spend wisely. Should Joao Carvalho leave for Olympiakos which looks likely the Reds could be netting £30m plus in transfer fees.
Losing Matty Cash whilst not ideal for player or club is to the benefit of both player and clubs development, losing Joao Carvalho will have little impact now that Sabri intends to stay, but losing Joe Lolley may seem more critical should they not replace the winger with like-for-like quality.
Forest could get plenty of money in this summer for players that plenty are interested in, whilst too many changes will only hinder the sides ambition, using money to invest wisely is the nature of the beast when it comes to overall improvement, and that is something the side certainly need to do if they are to this time finally make at least the playoffs for the first season in ten years.
*Article provided by Daniel Peacock (Editor).
*Main image @TransferJournal Matty Cash is attracting huge interest from Premier League clubs.
