Reported £40k-a-week Leeds summer target rated 4/10 in midweek display, got two 3/10s last month

Add as preferred source on Google

Leeds United were reportedly interested in Shane Duffy in the summer, according to The Scottish Mail (print edition, page 156, August 16, 2020).

The Whites had just been promoted to the Premier League and were said to be eyeing the Brighton defender to bolster their back line.

In the end, Duffy opted to join boyhood club Celtic, while Leeds eventually signed Germany defender Robin Koch from Freiburg.

Admittedly, Koch has has a mixed start to life at Elland Road, but given he’s new to Premier League football and acclimatising to life in England, he’ll come good soon enough.

Duffy, meanwhile, had a decent enough start to life at Celtic, but his form has since dropped, and questions are being asked by sections of the fanbase over his suitability for the club.

On Thursday, the Hoops faced Sparta Prague in the Europa League, a team bottom of Group H going into the game and an easier opponent on paper than AC Milan and Lille.

However, they were the ones who dished out the heaviest defeat to Neil Lennon’s side, beating them 4-1 on their own turf.

While the entire Hoops back line struggled on the night, Duffy’s attempted lunge on David Karlsson for Sparta’s third goal, in hope of getting the ball, saw him taken out of the equation.

The Sweden winger easily went past him and surged down the left, where he put the ball on a platter for Lukas Julis to slam home from point-blank range and earn himself his hat-trick.

Glasgow Live gave him 4 out of 10 and wrote: “Important challenge to deny Karlsson while 2-0 down, but just continues to look uneasy in the Celtic defence.

“Beaten far too easily for the third goal. Use of the ball wasn’t great either. Not good.”

Duffy also received two 3 out of 10 ratings last month by the same outlet for his displays against Aberdeen and AC Milan.

TBR View:

While Duffy has lost form in recent weeks, he’s delivered good performances in the past – he wouldn’t be closing in on 300 competitive club appearances, including 130 for Brighton and captain the Republic of Ireland otherwise.

The £40,000-a-week centre-back hasn’t done too badly against some of the Scottish Premiership’s lesser lights, but he’s struggled against Celtic’s tougher opponents, such as Rangers, Aberdeen and AC Milan, while his poor display against a modest Sparta side is especially worrying.

And given Leeds have only been promoted to the Premier League this season, where every team will carry a substantial threat, an out-of-form Duffy would’ve likely struggled for a side needing to get things right first time.