Republic of Ireland defender Duffy lined up for Celtic switch
CELTIC are expected to make a move for Blackburn Rovers defender Shane Duffy this week — but James Forrest will not be moving in the opposite direction.
Brendan Rodgers is an admirer of Duffy, a Republic of Ireland internationalist, but as of last night no contact had been made by the Celtic manager about the player, never mind a bid being offered to the English Championship club which had been reported.
It had also been suggested that Forrest, who is in the final seven months of his Celtic contract, would be part of the transfer.
But while the Blackburn manager Owen Coyle is a long-time fan of the Scotland international, he already has five wingers in his first-team squad at Ewood Park and therefore has no need for another player of that ilk.
Celtic do need a centrehalf — and ideally before the weekend. Rodgers would not want to go into the next round of Champions League qualifiers, against either Zalgris Vilnius of Lithuania or the dangerous Astana from Kazakhstan, with Erik Sviatchenko and Efe Ambrose as his only senior central defenders.
Veteran Kolo Toure remains on the radar of Rodgers who has been left short at the back because of the injuries to Jozo Simunovic and Dedryck Boyata — both are out until next month at the earliest — and the form of Ambrose who was dropped from the starting XI for Saturday’s friendly against Wolfsburg.
Duffy, 24, who began his career at Everton, would cost in the region of £3.5m.
But while Blackburn do not need to sell given their owners the Venky family are billionaires, he is in the last year of his contract and therefore they may believe that cashing in on him now would make sense.
Swansea City and West Bromwich Albion have also been credited with an interest in Duffy, a solid no-nonsense defender which is just what Celtic need, but it is understood that he fancies the idea of moving north.
Duffy almost lost his life in a training-ground accident during his first call-up to the Irish senior squad in 2010 when he ruptured the blood supply to his liver following an accidental collision during a practice match.
At the time Professor John O’Byrne, the Ireland team’s surgeon, said: “The staff in the Mater [hospital] must be credited for their expertise and fast response which, in no uncertain terms, saved Shane’s life.” Tuesday, 19th July, 2016