Fulham have moved into pole position to sign Nottingham Forest right-back Matty Cash, a report from Sky Sports’ Transfer Centre (13/08, 12:01) has claimed.
Cash enjoyed an outstanding individual campaign as Forest narrowly missed out on a Championship play-off place in dramatic at the end of the season, something that has now led to plenty of speculation around his future.
Sheffield United are said to have had a £10million bid for the right-back rejected, while Aston Villa, Leeds, AC Milan, Southampton and West Ham have all been credited with an interest in the 23-year-old.
According to this latest update however, it is now Fulham that have moved to the front of the queue to sign the versatile right-back, as they look to strengthen their side ahead of their return to the top-flight of English football.
It is thought that the Championship play-off winners are set to make their opening bid for Cash within the next 48 hours, as they look to win the race to secure the services of the in-demand defender.
For their part, Forest are still said to be demanding £15million for Cash – who is reportedly open to moving to any of those aforementioned clubs – although with three years remaining on the player’s contract at The City Ground, Forest are in a strong position to negotiate any offer that might come in.
This is not going to be a welcome sight for those of a Forest persuasion.
The fact that interest in Cash continues to grow only puts more pressure on the club, particularly with the player supposedly keen to get his chance at top-flight level.
As a result, it is becoming harder to imagine Cash being at The City Ground next season, and the 23-year-old’s performances recently suggest that would be a big loss for the club.
However, the amount of clubs there are interested in the player does at least mean there is the potential for a bidding war here that could push Cash’s price up even further, and that would at least make this a profitable move for Forest, allowing them to reinvest even more in their side ahead of the new season.
