Is Neco Williams worth the money?
- Published
There was a time when a fee of £17m for a 21-year-old right-back with fewer than 20 Premier League appearances might raise eyebrows.
In fact, last season, Neco Williams only played seven minutes in the top flight, albeit he did claim an assist when coming on for the final throes of a 5-0 thrashing of Watford.
In this current era though, Williams' pricey move to Nottingham Forest has barely registered.
After all, Forest boss Steve Cooper saw his quality first hand in April when his side claimed a crucial victory at Fulham, keeper Brice Samba keeping out a typically dangerous cross from Williams to deny the eventual Championship winners an equaliser.
The Wales full-back was outstanding on loan at Craven Cottage, featuring 14 times in the league, scoring twice, and adding a mix of defensive solidity, attacking prowess and useful versatility to Marco Silva's side.
He also already has 21 international caps for Wales - including two goals - and looks a certainty to head to Qatar in November.
With last season's revelation Djed Spence seemingly headed elsewhere, Cooper has moved quickly to secure a bright young talent who could be something special given the opportunity.
When put like that, £17m could turn out to be a snip.
