Shane Duffy is likely to be on his way out of Brighton in the coming weeks, a move that the player has to make at this stage of his career. He would find himself behind the likes of Lewis Dunk, Adam Webster, and Ben White at The Amex next season, with consistent first team football a must for the 28-year old.
A number of clubs are interested in the Derry native, although it remains to be seen where he ends up. West Brom were considered the early favourites for his signature, but links to Slaven Bilic's side have cooled in recent days.
According to one report, it is now a battle between two clubs to sign the centre back.
The Daily Record are reporting that Celtic and West Ham are the two teams hoping to sign Shane Duffy during the current transfer window.
Having originally been thought as outsiders for Duffy, the speculation linking him with a move to Celtic has become difficult to ignore. The club's supporters are certainly hoping he makes his way north of the border.
One potential obstacle is Celtic's relative lack of financial power meaning the club are forced to seek a loan deal for the player, a scenario Brighton may want to avoid. The Scottish side have reportedly offered a £2million loan fee.
West Ham would certainly be able to afford Duff, with the club hoping to bring him to London in a £5million. That is only half of Brighton's rumoured £10million asking price, although you would imagine a compromise could be reached.
Much of this could come down to the wishes of Duffy himself. He is known to be a fan of Celtic, although he may not want to leave the Premier League behind during the peak years of his career. He also has a relationship with West Ham boss David Moyes, with the Scot giving him his first team debut at Everton.
West Ham's current centre back options include Angelo Ogbonna, Issa Diop, and Fabián Balbuena, a group Duffy would fancy himself to earn playing time against.
It will be an interesting couple of weeks ahead.
