Aston Villa are in advanced talks to sign Nottingham Forest full-back Matty Cash after Dean Smith's side upped their offer to £12 million, according to the Telegraph.

The 23-year-old has been a key part of Forest's side for a couple of seasons now and his attributes are set to take him far in his career, with the next step a move to the Premier League.

Cash missed just four Championship games for the Reds last season, and he'll be hoping he can have a similar sort of impact at Villa Park and become a regular starter in the top-flight.

It is a big blow for Sabri Lamouchi and his preparations for the new campaign, however it does give the boss a bigger transfer budget to work with in the coming weeks.

The £12 million fee is fairly timid compared to some of the sums that the Villains were spending in the last summer and that will delight supporters of the top-flight club.

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The Verdict

Cash is a very good signing for Aston Villa and he has everything that it takes to make it at the top level, especially in terms of his ability to attack down the line.

If he improves his defensive awareness then he could well be one of the best full-backs in the country over the next three-four years, however that depends on how he takes to life in Premier League.

It's set to be a good fee that Forest get for the player, and at Championship level, the £12 million fee could be used to sign a number of top quality players to help improve the squad.