Derby County have set their sights on Brighton & Hove Albion’s centre-back Shane Duffy this summer, if the Rams stay in the Championship, according to Football Insider.
The 29-year-old has spent this season in Scotland on loan at former champions Celtic, after being surplus to requirements for the Seagulls.
Football Insider have been told by a recruitment source that Brighton manager Graham Potter has no plans to re-introduce Duffy to his squad this summer. Therefore, it is believed that he will allow another loan deal for the Republic of Ireland international.
This news has opened the door for Wayne Rooney’s Derby County as the manager is a big fan of Duffy’s having followed in similar footsteps to Rooney himself by graduating from Everton’s academy.
However, the Rams pursuit of the 29-year-old will heavily depend on what league they are in come Saturday afternoon. They sit in 21st place, two points above the drop zone going into the final game on Saturday against fellow relegation rivals Sheffield Wednesday.
The Ireland international hasn’t had the best of loans at Parkhead, considering the Scottish side were heavily praised for a very smart deal and beating many other interested parties.
The Hoops agreed a deal in which they paid a seven-figure loan fee for Duffy as well as a significant portion of his £45,000-a-week Brighton salary.
Celtic had beaten the likes of Champions League contenders West Ham to the signing of Duffy and at the start it looked like it was going to be a success after scoring in back-to-back games.
However, that form didn’t continue and has had a struggling time North of the border since and a series of errors eventually cost him a place in the side.
Duffy has barely played for the Hoops since January and has in the meantime seen Celtic’s bid for an ambitious 10 consecutive titles come to a shattering end. Celtic had lost centre-back Christopher Jullien for the rest of the season to a serious injury and Duffy still hasn’t managed a start in the last 10 games.
It seems Duffy needs to rejuvenate his footballing career and depending on what happens at the weekend, could Derby possibly be the place for that.
