A close companion of Shane Duffy has claimed the in-demand Brighton defender would favour a move to West Ham over boyhood heroes Celtic.
The 28-year-old has held talks with the Premiership champions and would cost around £2m to secure on a season-long loan from the Seagulls.
Celtic supporters have been swamping Duffy's Instagram page in recent days urging the Republic of Ireland to join the Premiership champions.
But there has been a fresh twist in the signing drama as the player's best friend Sean Roddy told a West Ham follower that the no-nonsense stopper would prefer a switch to the London Stadium.
The die-hard Hammers fan wrote: "Tell Shane to go to West Ham, we love him here, loads of Irish Hammers."
And Roddy promptly responded: "He wants to lad, find out this week."
The Brighton-based sports management consultant's response carries added weight as himself and Duffy had just come off the golf course - according to the player's social media story.
Record Sport revealed on Friday night Celtic were keeping close tabs on long-term target Liam Moore as an alternative to Duffy.
The 27-year-old has been a standout for the Royals in recent seasons but was left on the sidelines during the closing stages of the Championship campaign.
Moore is valued at around £4.5m but it's understood there may be some transfer wiggle room with hard-up Reading looking to balance the books.
