Brighton prepared to let Republic of Ireland international go for right price
Tuesday 11 August 2020 15:17, UK
West Brom are in talks with Brighton over a deal for centre-back Shane Duffy, and they seem to have stolen a march on rivals West Ham.
West Ham manager David Moyes worked with the Republic of Ireland international at Everton, and he sees Duffy as a good option to strengthen his defensive options.
But it is the two Albions that are pushing ahead with negotiations, with West Brom boss Slaven Bilic keen to strengthen all areas of his squad ahead of their Premier League campaign.
It is thought a restricted budget, and a lack of time with such a short close-season - both caused by the coronavirus pandemic - is causing West Brom some difficulties in the transfer market. However, they are hopeful of completing a deal for Duffy before the squad returns for pre-season training later this month.
Duffy made 19 Premier League appearances for Brighton last season, but has slipped down Graham Potter's pecking order, with Lewis Dunk and Adam Webster the preferred centre-back pairing.
With Netherlands international Joel Veltman joining from Ajax last month, and Ben White back from a loan spell at Leeds, Brighton have a host of central defensive options, and are prepared to let Duffy go for the right price.
The summer transfer window will run for 10 weeks from July 27 and close at 11pm on October 5.
A domestic-only window for trades between the Premier League and EFL then runs from October 5 and closes on Friday October 16 at 5pm. Follow all the news and analysis on Sky Sports News and across Sky Sports' digital platforms, including with our dedicated Transfer Centre blog.
