Paul Warne issues Eiran Cashin verdict after Brighton seal Derby County transfer
Paul Warne says Eiran Cashin left Derby County for a "great opportunity" after Brighton sealed a £9m deal for the defender on Friday.
Cashin was officially unveiled as a Brighton player at 11pm on Friday but was not included in their squad that lost 7-0 to Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
It ended what was a lengthy pursuit of the defender by Brighton who failed to get a deal across the line on deadline day in 2023 when negotiations hit a brick wall over a £4m deal.
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Cashin was one of the poster boys for the club's academy having come through the ranks and went on to become a key player and was integral to their promotion from League One last season.
Derby have wasted no time in replacing him by recruiting Sondre Langas from Viking FK on a £4m deal, but Derby head coach Warne said the deal for Cashin achieved his dream of moving to the Premier League.
"I'd be amazed if there is anyone in football that would be surprised that a young man who has been at the club for a number of years wants to go to the next level," he said.
"Why wouldn't you want to go to the Premier League? And why wouldn't be proud of him as a club? I am hugely disappointed he has gone from a selfish point of view but it's like watching your son go to university, I am just proud of him.
"I've text him four times because I was watching the Forest v Brighton game. It's a massive credit to the academy who helped bring him through and it's a massive credit to my coaches and everyone who has worked with him who got him to a point where he got attention from a Premier League club for an amazing amount of money.
"He goes on and plays and maybe one day in the future - not for me - but in a few years' time he might come back here and play again. I'd like to think all the fans would be disappointed but understanding that this is a great opportunity for him and he goes with our blessing."
