Nottingham Forest right-back Matty Cash is a Premier League target – but do The Magpies need him more than The Toffees?
There is one name strangely absent from The Sun’s report linking Matty Cash with a January move to the Premier League.
According to the tabloid (15 November, page 74), Crystal Palace and Southampton want the Nottingham Forest academy graduate. Everton, meanwhile, are lining up a £12 million bid with the winter closing in.
But where are Newcastle United? The club who famously (or should that be infamously?) build their entire recruitment strategy around young, hungry talents like Cash with substantial re-sale potential.
The club who are lacking real cover, or quality cover at least, on the right-hand side of their defence.
DeAndre Yedlin has endured too many off-days to really be counted upon at this point, Javi Manquillo is as limited as they come and, while it is a little premature to write off Emil Krafth, the summer signing has done very little so far to suggest that he is up to the standard required in the Premier League.
And Cash, an electric right-sider with the boundless energy of a Duracell bunny, could be a perfect fit for the 3-4-3 formation Bruce appears to be favouring at St James’ Park.
The 22-year-old has been converted from a winger into a full-back by Forest coach Sabri Lamouchi but it could be at wing-back, a position which should prove enough cover to ensure he wouldn’t have to worry about being caught out defensively, where Cash could really shine.
It almost goes without saying that Nottingham Forest, with a return to the Premier League in their sights after 20 years away, will be hoping to hold onto each and every one of their star players by the time January rolls around.
But the least Newcastle should do is match Everton’s £12 million bid. It didn’t go so badly the last time they signed one of Forest’s homegrown stars, right Jamaal Lascelles?
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