"Realistic and fair" - Honest Derby County reaction shared to £9m Eiran Cashin sale to Brighton | OneFootball

FLW's Derby County fan pundit has given his reaction to defender Eiran Cashin's £9 million move to Brighton & Hove Albion.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

It has been a tough few weeks for Derby County in the Championship, and they were dealt a huge blow on Friday as star defender Eiran Cashin departed for Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion.

Derby had made a decent start to life back in the second tier after their promotion from League One last season, but their form has declined dramatically of late, and they suffered their seventh consecutive defeat as they were beaten 1-0 by Sheffield United at Pride Park on Saturday.

The defeat leaves the Rams sitting 22nd in the table, two points from safety, and some supporters called for manager Paul Warne to be sacked towards the end of the game, but owner David Clowes looks set to remain loyal for now.

To add to Derby's current problems, one of their biggest January transfer window fears came true last week as Cashin made the switch to Brighton for a reported fee of £9 million, with the top flight side finally landing the 23-year-old's signature having initially come close to signing him in the summer.

Cashin went on to score six goals and provide two assists in 144 appearances for the Rams after coming through their academy, and in an emotional farewell message, he said that leaving the club was "one of the toughest decisions of my career", but he said he could not turn down the opportunity to achieve his ambition of playing in the Premier League.

Derby County fan pundit reacts to Eiran Cashin's departure and £9m fee

When asked for his thoughts on whether the club could have secured a bigger transfer fee for Cashin, FLW's Derby County fan pundit Shaun Woodward said that the £9 million price tag was fair for a player with no Premier League experience.

"As much as we didn't want Cashin to go because of how much he's adored by the Derby fans, I think £9 million for a player who is unproven at Premier League level is realistic and fair," Shaun said.

"I think there might be add-ons in there, so if that is the case, then it's a good bit of business for Derby.

"Brighton had the upper hand so late in the transfer window knowing that we needed to reinvest the money, so if they were going to go higher, they probably didn't need to as we had to accept that kind of offer.

"Most Derby fans would agree it's a good sum of money, and it's something we're not normally good at getting, we're normally known for selling our players on the cheap.

"It's something that's really haunted us for a long time, but I think on this occasion, £9 million is a very good sum of money for someone who hasn't played in the Premier League.

"I'm sure he'll do well at Brighton, and I don't think any Derby fans begrudge him the move."

Sondre Langas arrival could help to ease Eiran Cashin blow for Derby County

There is no doubt that Cashin's departure is a huge blow for Derby and their hopes of staying in the Championship this season.

With the transfer deadline looming, Cashin's late exit means the Rams have little time to reinvest the money generated from his sale, but they have used some of their windfall to sign Norwegian international defender Sondre Langas from Viking FK for a reported fee of £4 million.

Warne will be hoping that Langas and fellow new addition Matt Clarke can help to fill Cashin's shoes, but a player of his quality will be near impossible to replace, and he will certainly be missed at Pride Park.