Celtic have opened signing talks with Republic of Ireland defender Shane Duffy – even though they fear they’ll be blown out of the water by big-money offers from down south.
The Daily Records reports the Parkhead club have held discussions with the 28-year-old and his current club Brighton as Neil Lennon attempts to lure the lifelong Hoops fant across the border.
It’s believed Duffy will be allowed to leave the south coast club on loan for a fee of £2million but a string of English clubs are ready to weigh in with massive cash bids in the hope of securing a permanent move.
West Ham boss David Moyes is leading the chase for the experienced international but West Brom, Burnley and Leeds are also at the table - leaving Celtic with little chance of matching any financial offer.
But a source close to the talks told 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.
“Celtic are certainly part of the conversation but there is also a realisation that this will be a very difficult deal to do because it’s impossible to compete with the wages on offer in the English Premier League.”
Duffy, who has three years left on his contract 2023, is considering his options after making only 19 Premier League appearances over the past season.
Lewis Dunk and Adam Webster, signed 12 months ago, are ahead of him at the Amex while Graham Potter’s newest signing, Dutch international Joel Veltman, is also set to be above him in the pecking order.
