West Ham appear to be edging closer to their first signing of the summer as their latest bid is being mulled over.

What's the word?

According to the Daily Mirror (page 54, 12th August), Championship outfit Nottingham Forest may accept the Hammers' £10m bid for their right-back Matty Cash.

It's claimed that they want an extra £5m for his services after knocking back a similar offer from Premier League rivals Sheffield United.

But David Moyes' side aren't prepared to budge, meaning Forest may have to sell the 23-year-old for a lower fee than expected if they want to cash in on their first-choice defender.

Bye-bye Fredericks

Whether the Irons get their man for £10m or are forced to pay that extra amount remains to be seen, but it does spell bad news for Ryan Fredericks.

The 27-year-old has been wholly underwhelming from an attacking standpoint this season, averaging a mere 0.8 key passes and 0.6 crosses per game, via WhoScored.

In fact, West Ham rank third-worst for attacking the right flank in the Premier League this season with just 35% of their advances coming from Fredericks' side.

This is where Cash can elevate Moyes' side onto a new level next term. He's provided three goals and five assists whilst averaging 1.1 key passes, 1 shot and 0.7 crosses per appearance in the Championship.

The Times' chief football writer Henry Winter claimed back in November that the Forest man "looks Premier League class" whilst Quest TV pundit Sam Parkin has described his season as "outstanding".

If the Irons want to progress further under Moyes next season, then a swoop for the attack-minded Cash makes the world of sense - they just need to stump up the cash to land their man.

AND in other news, Hammers preparing new £8m offer for seven-goal forward...