Aston Villa have agreed a deal to sign Nottingham Forest right-back Matty Cash.
Dean Smith’s side will pay £14 million upfront, with a further £2 million in add-ons, according to The Athletic.
The Villains’ opening bid of £10 million was rejected, as was their second offer of £12.75 million.
However, they finally seem to have got their man.
Cash has been one of the most sought-after players in the Championship this year, with Sheffield United and Fulham both very interested in his services.
Forest also turned down bids from both West Ham and AC Milan in January.
Cash was arguably the best right-back in the second tier in 2019/20, with only Luke Ayling coming close to his regular performance level.
He only began playing in the position last year, having previously played as a winger.
He adapted like a duck to water, earning himself this big-money move to the Premier League.
Worth the Cash for Villa?
Despite Villa narrowly staying up last season, their squad has numerous talented players.
The partnership of Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa began to flourish near the end of the season, while Matt Targett is an underrated left-back.
Yet there was a problem on the right side of the back four. Duties were shared between Konsa, Frederic Guilbert and Ahmed El Mohamady.
Cash seems like the perfect solution to round off a very decent defensive line.
He only turned 23 last month, so is still very young. He is also homegrown, which is always a positive for Premier League teams.
England have a plethora of outstanding young right-backs at the moment. Cash could prove to be up there with the best of them.
2019/20 brought three goals and five assists in 42 Championship games.
Cash averaged 3 tackles and interceptions per game, proving how quickly he has developed the defensive aspect of his game.
He is also a very useful weapon going forward, averaging one shot and 1.1 key passes per game.
Cash is a complete right-back already, despite the fact he only recently became one. With the right coaching, he will only improve.
If Dean Smith can sign a reliable goalkeeper (perhaps Sergio Romero), Villa’s defense should improve massively this season.
Douglas Luiz is a great defensive midfielder, while John McGinn’s return from injury should prove to be another positive in the centre of the park.
It is unlikely anybody will come in for Jack Grealish due to his massive price tag, so, suddenly, Aston Villa are only two or three players away from boasting an impressive starting line-up.
If they can pick up more smart signings like Cash, there could be a very promising season in store at Villa Park.