Talks held: West Brom favourites to sign £40k-a-wk PL player - report
West Brom are favourites to sign in-demand Brighton centre-back Shane Duffy after holding talks about a summer deal, according to the Daily Mail.
The newspaper claims that Celtic want to sign Duffy, 28, on loan but Brighton are demanding a £2million loan fee for a season-long deal.
It is understood that Duffy is keen on joining Celtic as he's a boyhood supporter of the Glasgow club but Brighton's stance means that West Brom remain in pole position to strike a deal.
The Scottish Daily Mail has added in their latest print edition [back page, August 16] that Leeds, Burnley and West Ham are also interested in signing Duffy.
It remains to be seen how much West Brom will have to pay for Duffy but he is on a reasonable £40,000-a-week [Spotrac] deal at the AMEX so we don't see him costing the club and arm and a leg.
It will be interesting to see what happens with Ahmed Hegazi and Kyle Bartley though.
Semi Ajayi was the Baggies' stand-out centre-back last season, starting more Championship games than both of the other two.
Hegazi has been linked with a move away from The Hawthorns and we doubt that Slaven Bilic will be able to keep four senior centre-backs happy if he doesn't sell or loan one of them out.
Bilic will also have Dara O'Shea at his disposal with the young Irishman playing at either right-back or centre-back.
Duffy should be a starter if he heads to West Brom this summer, but someone might have to make way for him.
In other West Brom news, Albion want to sign this Brazilian defender.