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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Neil Lennon is set to hand Danny Simpson the chance to impress at Celtic in a trial next week, according to The Scottish Sun.

What’s the story?

Simpson was released by Leicester City at the end of the last season and it’s now being reported that he’s set to have a chance of earning a deal at Parkhead. The 32-year-old wasn’t offered a new a deal by former Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers at the Premier League club.

The right-back was a part of the Leicester side that won the league in 2016 but has since been replaced by Ricardo Pereira. The arrival of James Justin from Luton all but guarenteed Simpson wouldn’t be staying on at the King Power stadium.

Neil Lennon has made no secret of wanting more players in this summer, and has admitted: “Right-back is a priority, but we have a number of positions I’d like to strengthen like midfield and one or two attacking areas.

“I think we’ll have something in the next few days hopefully. It might be a right-back, it might be a left-winger, it might be a centre-forward.”

This sounds good for Simpson as he aims to earn a deal at a club that’s looking for a right-sided defender.

Is he an improvement?

While Lennon has admitted that right-back is a priority for this summer window, the Hoops do already have Anthony Ralston at the club. The 20-year-old has featured sparingly over the past 12 months.

The youngster had a successful loan spell at Championship outfit Dundee United the season before last, but hasn’t been able to establish himself at Parkhead since. It could be time for him to get more first-team opportunities now though, with Lennon admitting the right-back position is depleted.

At 20, he might not be ready for the big European games yet but he could be ready to act as deputy for a more experienced defender. Meanwhile, Simpson only played nine first-team games last year so would probably be best suited to an understudy role too.

Therefore, it looks like there would not be room for both players to act as the deputy to a more experienced signing, if one were to arrive after Lennon’s comments.

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If Ralston can do as well, if not better, than Simpson during the Englishman’s trial then he simply has to get the nod. Bring in an experienced defender who will play 30+ games and allow Ralston to learn and develop under his wing.

Simpson is quite simply not that player. He barely turned out for Leicester last season and would simply block Ralston’s path to playing time.