New Eiran Cashin update emerges as Brighton close in on Derby County transfer | OneFootball

The saga surrounding the defender finally looks as though it is coming to an end.

Brighton & Hove Albion and Derby County have come to an agreement over Eiran Cashin, and a bid has been accepted for the 23-year-old nearly two weeks after the Seagulls were informed that the defender was not for sale.

That's according to Elliot Cook on X, who posted late on Thursday night that a bid has been accepted by the Championship side for their number six.

The Rams welcome Sheffield United to Pride Park on Saturday afternoon, and it now looks incredibly likely that they will be without the academy graduate, who has been targeted by Brighton on multiple occasions over the course of the last 18 months.

Derby have made just two signings in the January transfer window so far, with Lars-Jorgen Salvesen and Matt Clarke joining the club, but another centre-back is now desperately needed.

Derby and Brighton agree fee for Cashin

The Rams and Seagulls have finally agreed on a price for Cashin, and while the deal is done in principle, the finer details of the move now need to be completed, as per Cook.

The Telegraph reported on Monday that Brighton were edging closer to a £10m agreement for the former Republic of Ireland U21 international, although Paul Warne's side were holding for a package worth £15m.

However, it now seems as though the two clubs have found a middle-ground, and Cashin will become a Premier League player just months after earning a place in the League One Team of the Season, as Derby won promotion to the Championship.

This is not the first time that Brighton have agreed a deal with the Rams for the defender, having done so on deadline day in the summer 2023 transfer window, but time ran out before the £4m move could be completed.

Cashin's loss will hit Derby hard in the short-term

Derby will find the next few weeks difficult if they do not find a replacement for Cashin, as they do lack depth at the heart of their defence after Curtis Nelson's season-ending injury.

Clarke is the only fit centre-back in the Rams' ranks at this moment in time, so Warne will suffer in the short-term as he will have to re-arrange his team and utilise make-shift defenders for the next couple of weeks.

However, if the fee is close to The Telegraph's report, then Derby will benefit in the long-term, and they will have the funds to help rebuild the core of the squad in the summer. But they will need to find a way to survive in the Championship to let this situation be a benefit to them.

Cashin has had his heart set on Brighton for a couple of weeks now, and while his loss will be hard to take for supporters of the Rams, they will be looking forward to watching him blossom in the Premier League.