Celtic could potentially look at a permanent move for former loanee Shane Duffy this summer.
What’s the latest transfer claim on Celtic and Duffy?
Duffy made the move to Parkhead back in 2020 on loan from Brighton. A boyhood Hoops fan, the club paid a loan fee of just under £2m for the centre-back and contributed to around £25,000 of his weekly wage.
However, things didn’t exactly go to plan for the Irishman under Neil Lennon, with the player making 27 appearances for the club. He came in for criticism in the media which led to Lennon defending Duffy, adding later in the season that Celtic haven’t seen the best of the player.
Now on the books of Fulham, Duffy has played less than 200 minutes of competitive football all season and is out of contract in a matter of months. He could be on the move once more, and a return to Glasgow has been mooted in the media.
Glasgow World reporter Martyn Simpson shared a story in the last 48 hours, looking at 10 out-of-contract Premier League players that the Hoops could target for free over the coming months. One of those was Duffy, to which he said:
“Duffy’s loan spell with Fulham was made permanent earlier this year but only until the summer. His last spell with Celtic was not the best period of his career but he still has bags of experience and could be worth a second chance.”
Who will Postecoglou sign this summer?
Ange Postecoglou is on the hunt for three headline signings this summer, with one of those being at centre-back. The current Celtic boss wouldn’t have coached Duffy before, however, he may be aware of his previous loan spell just before he arrived at the club.
Duffy was viewed as a marquee signing but his loan spell was described as disastrous in the media, with the player being labelled a flop. His Transfermarkt valuation has continued to drop following his loan spell in Scotland, with it currently standing at just €2.5m (£2.2m) the lowest it has been since 2016. He is also still on £40,000-a-week with his current employers, so could be one of the Celtic's top earners if he returns.
Therefore, it wouldn’t come as a shock if a return didn’t materialise and Celtic looked elsewhere for defensive reinforcements, but it does look set to be a busy few months ahead of Postecoglou’s third season in charge at Parkhead.