Former England striker Kevin Phillips says that West Ham would be getting a bargain if they sign Nottingham Forest defender Matty Cash this summer.
Cash has attracted plenty of interest from English football’s top-flight since the market reopened, having enjoyed an outstanding campaign with Forest last season.
One of those clubs to have been linked with the 23-year-old is West Ham, and although it was recently reported that the Hammers want to pay no more than £10million for Cash – £5million short of Forest’s valuation – Phillips still believes that Cash would be a more than useful addition at The London Stadium.
Speaking to Football Insider about that interest in Cash from West Ham, Phillips said: “I think he is ready for the Premier League.
“He has made a name for himself at Nottingham Forest and they just missed out on promotion last season.
“I have watched him a lot having been involved in the Championship a lot over the past few years. He is a talented player.”
Discussing whether Cash has the ability to make the step up to the top-flight, and assessing what this deal would mean for West Ham, Phillips continued: “It is always a slight gamble making that step up but I think Fredericks did from Fulham.
“A good attacking full-back who can of course play further forward as well. He has got the energy to get up and down.
“If West Ham could sign him, he could prove to be a bargain because he will not cost the earth.”
It does feel as though Phillips is making a fair enough point here.
Cash was brilliant for Forest in the season just gone, and there is little doubt that he is ready for the step up to the Premier League, should he want to do that in the coming months.
When you look at the fees that some clubs are paying for certain players, you could also argue that Phillips is right to say that £15million for Cash would be something of a relative bargain for the Hammers.
However, as we have already seen this summer, Forest are not going to pushed around easily on the transfer market, meaning that just because this deal may be cheap for West Ham, it is not going to be easy for them to comlpete.
