Celtic receive major boost in Shane Duffy transfer chase

Celtic have been handed a major boost in their quest to bring Shane Duffy to Parkhead in order to solidify the defence as they challenge for 10IAR.

It is no secret that Celtic are looking to sign Shane Duffy in this transfer window as it has become abundantly clear over the past year or so that neither Kristoffer Ajer nor Christopher Jullien enjoy a physical battle. Also, Neil Lennon might opt for a three man defence, which makes signing like Duffy even more important.

It is not hard to see why Celtic would want someone like Duffy. He is a no nonsense defender, something that the club are lacking at the moment. And while he is not a great passer of the ball, flanked by someone like Ajer or Jullien means that that should not be a too big of an issue.

Although his contract runs till 2023, Duffy appears to be out of favour at Brighton. And Celtic are not the only ones interested. A number of other Premier League sides are as well and that will only make things harder for the Hoops to get a deal done. There is no denying the fact that the club cannot compete with the wages that the English clubs are capable of offering.

The club have been handed a huge boost though as it looks like Duffy, who is a childhood Celtic fan, is open to moving to Parkhead even if the wages on offer are a little lower. As reported by the Daily Record:

"“Shane has made it clear that he’s a massive Celtic supporter and that could make all the difference in terms of his decision. If he did chose Celtic then it would be more of a romantic notion rather than a financial decision.”"

It does not look like Celtic are looking to sign him on a permanent transfer though. Instead, the idea of a loan move has been thrown around with a £2 million fee reportedly wanted by Brighton and Hove Albion. And to be honest, that could be the best deal for the Hoops as it might not be a great idea to spend a lot of money on a 28-year-old who will not have too much resale value.