Aston Villa's renaissance continues following a stunning Premier League victory over Chelsea, as the Midlands side came away from Stamford Bridge with a 1-0 win and all three points.
The result ensures Unai Emery’s men remain in sixth place in the table, having suffered just two defeats in the league and – comparing the club to this stage last year – it is like night and day.
Indeed, comparing the club now from when they first achieved promotion back to the top flight in 2019 is incredible, especially in terms of the quality of player they can now lure to the Midlands while having a world-class manager in charge.
Under Dean Smith, Villa spent big on players such as Tyrone Mings (£21m), Wesley (£22m) and Marvelous Nakamba (£11m) alongside a host of other players who failed to really make the grade at the club.
In total, he spent over £300m in assembling a squad which could cope with the demands of top-flight football, while trying to re-establish the club as one of the biggest sides in the top flight.
League finishes of 17th and 11th in Smith’s two seasons in charge weren’t exactly spectacular, however, while his successor Steven Gerrard failed to inspire much confidence either, finishing 14th during the 2021/22 season after he had been appointed in November 2021.
Very few of the signings made by the 52-year-old had any sort of meaningful impact at the club. Ollie Watkins is shining under Emery, while Tyrone Mings impressed last term, although he suffered a serious injury during the first match of the season and is expected to miss the remainder of the campaign.
Matty Cash is another who has made a significant impact during his spell at Villa and this has seen his market value soar.
How much did Aston Villa sign Matty Cash for?
The right-back signed from Nottingham Forest for a fee of around £16m back in 2020 as the club were looking to make progress ahead of the 2020/21 season.
Smith praised the defender upon his arrival, saying: “We are delighted to welcome Matty to Villa and believe we have secured one of England’s brightest young prospects.
“He has an excellent playing record for a young player and we believe he will settle in easily and continue his rapid development into a top full-back.”
Having made 141 appearances for Forest, Cash arrived in the Midlands with a wealth of senior experience and the move has turned out extremely well so far, emerging as a key player under Emery.
How much is Matty Cash worth now?
Since making his debut for the club in 2020, the English-born Polish international has racked up over 100 games for Villa in just three years and the initial £16m transfer fee now appears to be a very wise move indeed.
Cash has seen his value rise steadily since September 2020 and according to Football Transfers, the defender is now currently valued at €37.1m (£32.2m) and this represents an increase of 101% from his transfer fee.
His value actually rose to €47.1m (£41m) in August 2022 yet with his recent performances, there is no doubt this could rise to a similar number in the next few months, or perhaps even higher.
Regardless of his value, Villa will be able to make a staggering profit on the 26-year-old should they wish to move him on, but he is turning into an integral part of the senior setup as Emery chases glory.
Why is Matty Cash worth this much?
Although Villa failed to reach the heights expected of them under Smith, Cash went on to make 28 Premier League appearances in his debut season, while the following term, he showed remarkable consistency by starting every single league tie for the club.
He even scored four times during the 2021/22 campaign while creating three big chances, averaging 0.8 key passes per game, and succeeding with 56% of his attempted dribbles, demonstrating his attacking abilities from a full-back role.
Last season saw him start only 20 league matches as the club were enduring some mid-season turbulence, yet he made the Poland squad for the World Cup, where he went to play all four matches for the nation as they qualified for the last 16 for the first time since 1986.
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His performances in Qatar even drew praise from former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy, who said “Matty Cash has wonderful attributes, he’s a terrific talent!” while also explaining that “he’s got the potential to go to a big club & be comfortable at #UCL level.”
High praise indeed from someone who represented England on nine occasions and Cash has certainly taken his game to the next level during the current season.
Emery has unleashed him in the starting XI in all six matches thus far, and he has repaid this faith by scoring twice in the league, while winning 52% of his total duels and recovering 4.3 balls per game, indicating that he is strong in the tackle and is keen to mop up any loose balls in order to give his team plenty of chances to create goal-scoring opportunities.
In terms of performance across the whole Villa squad, Cash ranks fourth for overall Sofascore rating (7.15) along with topping the pile for shots on target per game (1.2), fifth for tackles (2.2) and sixth for interceptions (0.5) per game, underlining his class.
The £80k-per-week gem has all but made the right-back slot his own under the Spaniard and if he continues to perform like he has this term, he may attract the attention of some top clubs in the near future.
The former Forest defender has established himself as a consistent player who not only can defend but can also showcase his attacking talents to full effect, as evidenced by the two goals he has netted this term.
Having cost just £16m three years ago, it appears that Villa has struck gold on the right-back, especially considering his value has soared over double that amount in those 36 months.
Emery won't want to sell him, yet if the time comes when an offer arrives for the player, it could well be too good to turn down and the Midlands outfit will rake in a stunning profit on Cash, there’s no doubt about that.