It goes without saying at this point that Brighton and Hove Albion’s Shane Duffy just might take the spotlight in the ongoing summer transfer window. The coveted defender is a very wanted man and numerous Premier League clubs are after his signature.
But if the latest report from the Daily Record is to be believed, it will come down to Celtic and West Ham United. At the end of the day, one of the two clubs will have a new centre-back in their squad.
The way things currently stand, the same outlet explains, the Scottish Premier League titans are betting on Duffy being a childhood fan of the Hoops while the Hammers have the financial edge over their rivals.
For that reason, the former club would like to secure a loan deal which would then cost them around £2m in wages for the entire upcoming campaign. David Moyes, on the other hand, is willing to offer a full transfer fee that would give them Duffy permanently at a cost in the region of £5m.
So this is very much a battle of emotions versus money and it will be interesting to see who ends up on top. Daily Record also mention the likes of West Brom and Burnley are interested as well but as of right now, they don’t exactly stand a chance.
The paper states this will be a ‘straight fight’ between the two aforementioned clubs. Big things and fireworks are seemingly on the way.
Verdict
Celtic may not have the financial power of the Premier League sides but football is not always about the money, even though it may seem that way sometimes. Duffy will simply have to decide where he wants to continue his career.
West Ham can offer him Premier League football going forward while the Hoops are the biggest Scottish team he can join and a chance of silverware is pretty much guaranteed.