Sources: Aston Villa to sign star next week after blowing West Ham out of water
Aston Villa are set to complete the signing of Nottingham Forest defender Matty Cash next week, Football Insider understands.
The Premier League club are in advanced talks to land Cash after this site revealed earlier this week that Villa had joined the hunt to prise the right-back from the City Ground.
A Villa source has told Football Insider that Villa are now in pole position to sign the 23-year-old for a fee of around £12million.
That is £3m than Forest had hoped to get for their in-demand academy product.
Cash has also generated strong interest from West Ham, Sheffield United and Fulham since the window opened.
But Villa are close to wrapping up a deal that would be a blow to the Hammers especially, as they have been trying to sign the right-sided defender since January.
As revealed by Football Insider, Cash is has made it clear he is keen to quit Forest this summer and join a top-flight club.
Cash has graduated from the academy ranks at the City Ground to make 141 senior appearances.
Nearly a third of those came in the recently-completed campaign in which he made 40 Championship starts.
Forest have accepted defeat in their bid to keep hold of Cash following their failure to secure promotion from last season's Championship.