Summary
Matty Cash has been a strong performer since joining Aston Villa back in 2020. But, Ryan Taylor of the Daily Express has told GIVEMESPORT as to why everything might not be as it seems with the fullback.
Is Matty Cash surplus to requirements?
On the surface, Matty Cash has been a consistent performer for Aston Villa. He arrived at Villa Park from Nottingham Forest and quickly made that right-back berth his own.
Unai Emery’s management has seemingly taken Villa to the next level though and this may leave Cash behind if reports are to be believed.
European football is now something which this team will have to contend with and with that comes an even more demanding schedule. Where Matty Cash is concerned, Ashley Young joining Everton means there are even more minutes available in his position which could be a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing in that he himself can step up even more whilst as a curse, it could see Villa dip into the transfer market once again.
Sporting director Monchi arrived from Spanish football, as of course did manager Emery so the pair tend to shop in a market which they are very familiar with.
This aligns with a report from Estadio Deportivo that suggests that Monchi could make matters worse for Sevilla and swoop in for Gonzalo Montiel.
What has Ryan Taylor got to say in his update?
“They’re looking at full-backs in general. Konsa has been playing at right-back a little bit. Cash doesn't seem to be 100% fancied by Emery. He's probably the first choice, but I don't think Emery is sold on him.
“At left-back, they’ve got Alex Moreno, who was excellent at points last year. And there is a chance Lucas Digne could leave for Saudi Arabia, so again, the full-back areas are where they're looking at.
“I don't know of any concrete ties from what I've seen. There are a few in Spain that they've been looking at. Monchi is now the sporting director, so I suspect those are targets backed by him.”
The Monchi effect
Monchi is a world-renowned sporting director and his arrival in Birmingham was a real coup.
Links to Montiel make perfect sense when you consider Monchi’s track record and he wouldn’t be the only arrival from La Liga in this window.
Europa League winning centre-back Pau Torres made the move to Villa Park from Villarreal and is set to strengthen that area in the defence alongside Tyrone Mings, Ezri Konsa and Diego Carlos, the latter who is also formerly of the Spanish top-flight.
Monchi is known for his contributions to the sport off of the field more so than his time with Sevilla on the field in the late 1990s. As previously mentioned, he played a huge part for that same club as a member of the hierarchy and he discovered a number of big names, including Jesus Navas, Sergio Ramos and the late Jose Antonio Reyes.
He also left a mark in Serie A with A.S. Roma before making his way to England with a return to Seville in between.