Celtic will reportedly have to pay £2million to take Brighton defender Shane Duffy on loan.
Neil Lennon is keen on bringing the Irishman to Parkhead as he looks to strengthen his backline.
But the Daily Mail claim the Premier League side are demanding £2m to facilitate a move for the centre-half.
West Ham and West Brom are also interested in acquiring Duffy, who is a life long Celtic fan.
Celtic were front runners on Friday night as they became the odds-on favourite to sign Duffy.
Former Parkhead academy player Si Ferry also claimed Celtic had opened talks with the 28-year-old.
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He told Go Radio: "I’ve heard that it could be happening, I’ve heard that Shane Duffy is a possibility.
"I think he has spoken to Celtic and for me it’s exactly the type of centre-half Celtic need.
"He’s not great on the ball, I’ll be honest, you could probably tell him that yourself.
"But aggressive, big, strong, wants to defend - I think that’s exactly the type that Jullien and Ajer need next to them."
