According to a report from the Sun, Nottingham Forest want £18 million for Matty Cash, meaning that West Ham will have to up their original offer by £6 million.
Sky Sports reported yesterday that the Hammers submitted a £10 million offer, one that could rise to £12 million, for the 22-year-old Forest right-back.
West Ham desperately need to bolster their right-back department. Pablo Zabaleta is 35 and has completely lost his pace. The Argentine is leaving in the summer too. Ryan Fredericks, meanwhile, is currently injured, and has been out of form all season anyway.
It will be vital for David Moyes to bring in another right sided full-back who can push the former Fulham to the limits, and in turn, hopefully get the best out of him.
Cash could be ideal for the Hammers, but it could be argued that £18 million is simply too much money for someone who isn’t proven in the Premier League.
Middle ground needs to be found
Perhaps West Ham and Forest can meet halfway. If the Hammers picked up Cash for around £14m or £15m, that would be decent business.
The 22-year-old would offer Moyes’s something something completely different down the right-hand side.
Whilst Fredericks possesses blistering pace, he never uses it to good effect, and often seems afraid to take players on.
Cash is the complete opposite to that. He has two goals and four assists to his name in 27 Championship outings for Forest this term. According to Who Scored, he has completed one successful dribble per game, and makes an average of 1.1 key passes every time he’s taken to the pitch this season.
As previously mentioned, however, it does seem like Forest are holding West Ham to ransom by asking for £18 million for Cash.
The former midfielder and now converted right-back is a top class player. But if we are being harsh, he has only proven himself in the Championship. The Premier League will undoubtedly be a step up.
And whether the Hammers owners are prepared to weigh out £18 million to take a chance on Cash remains to be seen.
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