Ryan Darby

Fri 18 December 2020 16:08, UK

A new report has revealed that former West Brom manager Slaven Bilic blocked an attempt to sign Shane Duffy from Brighton during the summer window.

The Athletic have confirmed that technical & sporting director Luke Dowling was eager to sign the Irishman.

It was reported by the Daily Mail that the Baggies had held talks with Brighton over a potential deal, with West Ham also in the running.

Bilic did not share the view and instead pressed the club to sign former Chelsea stalwart Branislav Ivanovic on a short-term deal.

While a deal for the now 36-year-old may have also raised a few eyebrows, you only have to look at the performances of Duffy – now on loan at Celtic – to see Bilic made the right call.

Duffy completed a deal to join his ‘boyhood club‘ on a season-long loan, but the move has not planned out as many would have expected.

Given the reported Premier League interest in Duffy, it appeared to be quite the coup for Celtic at the time, especially after scoring in his first two games for the Hoops.

However, things quickly unravelled for the defender, who put in a string of uninspiring performances for the Scottish champions.

He struggled in high-profile games against Aberdeen and Lille to name a few, recording WhoScored match ratings as low as 5.82 along the way.

Throughout his loan spell, he has felt the wrath of some Celtic supporters on social media, which has led to speculation that his dream loan move could be cut short.

After seeing how badly the player has struggled in the Scottish Premiership, it makes you wonder how he might have managed in a leaky West Brom defence.

Exactly why Bilic was not so keen on Duffy remains to be seen, but he must have seen this coming to be put off by a potential move.

In other West Brom news, Journalist singles out West Brom ‘flair’ player who could ‘thrive’ under Big Sam

Be sure to follow West Brom News on Facebook and Twitter for 24/7 updates on the Baggies and more exclusive interviews with Kevin Phillips.