TBR View: Leeds dodged a bullet with reported summer target Shane Duffy

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Leeds United were linked with defender Shane Duffy in the previous transfer window, but it looks like they’ve dodged a bullet by not signing him.

The Scottish Mail previously reported (16 August, page 156) that Leeds had joined the race to try sign the 28-year-old centre-back ahead of the new season.

Duffy ended up leaving Premier League club Brighton on a season-long loan to join Scottish giants Celtic, but he’s been under the spotlight for the wrong reasons recently and it looks like Marcelo Bielsa’s team were fortunate to miss out on his signature.

The Republic of Ireland international has played every game since his move to Celtic and is a towering defender that is strong in the air, but he’s made several individual mistakes in the past week and looks low on confidence.

He’s an old fashioned centre-back that can be a real asset in the right system, but he’s struggled playing out from the back in the Celtic side and that’s why a move to Elland Road could have lead to the same result.

Despite his physical dominance, Duffy is not in line with a modern day defender and it’s difficult to picture him fitting Marcelo Bielsa’s style.

Leeds already have some quality options in the heart of defence with the likes of Liam Cooper, Diego Llorente, Robin Koch and Pascal Sruijk.

The Whites are currently without the injured duo Cooper and Llorente, but stand-in captain Luke Ayling moved across to the centre-back superbly in the recent win over Aston Villa and you’ve got to be an athletic versatile player to be a part of Bielsa’s squad.