With the January transfer window in full swing, Jeremie Frimpong has sealed his Celtic exit, meaning the club will have to look for a new right-back this month.
News broke in recent days of Celtic Frimpong having travelled to Germany to complete a transfer to Bayer Leverkusen for a transfer fee of around £10 million, which would be quite a cash haul for the 19-year-old.
And now that his move has been confirmed, it is not only likely but also incredibly necessary that Celtic act swiftly to bring in a replacement. The club has Hatem Elhamed and Anthony Ralston at the moment, neither of whom have been regular starters. As a result, Lennon will desperately need some added depth in the position.
We decided to take a look at three short-term, veteran options would could replace Frimpong at Parkhead until the end of the season with it unlikely that the club will loosen the purse strings in January:
Danny Simpson
The 34-year-old English right-back has a wealth of experience and would be a fantastic veteran option for Neil Lennon. While he is almost 15 years older than the departing youngster, he has played at some of the highest levels of football and played a large part in Leicester City’s incredible Premier League title win in 2016.
His most recent stint was one season with EFL Championship side Huddersfield Town, making 25 total appearances for the club before being released. Currently a free agent, Simpson has reportedly been training under former Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers with Leicester City in order to keep up his fitness.
Available on a free transfer, Simpson would be a fantastic option to replace Frimpong and let Celtic keep the large chunk of cash likely to come from the sale until the summer at least. His connection with Rodgers and availability for a free transfer makes him a prime target for Lennon’s side in the waning days of the transfer window.