Leicester City defender, Danny Simpson will be entering the final season of his contract with the Foxes and a conversation is impending about an extension. Claude Puel is awaiting a sit-down with the Leicester owners to discuss investment plans for the upcoming transfer window and about the dying contracts of some of the current players.
Simpson, 31 has been a loyal servant of the club for the past 4 seasons, playing a key role in their Premier League winning 2015/16 season. He has missed a significant chunk of the current campaign, unfortunately, due to an injury to his hamstring but is still an uncontested starter in the right-back position.
Puel had earlier tried Daniel Amartey in the position as a makeshift option and the Ghanaian has been exposed on multiple occasions. Simpson’s defensive attributes trump that of any of the backup options (not that City have much to begin with).
However, his age is certainly a cause for concern mostly due to the importance of athleticism in his position. We have seen countless times veteran fullbacks getting humiliated by pacey young wingers which eventually leads to their dismissal from the club.
Pablo Zabaleta was done away with at Manchester City and so is Jose Mourinho considering the same for Manchester United’s Antonio Valencia. A loss of speed and agility is a definite reduction in a player’s value which often makes them a liability, rather than smart investment.
However, it would also be callow to assume that Simpson will follow in the paths of all his predecessors in the position. His top-flight experience cannot be discounted and as mentioned above, Zabaleta is doing quite well in a West Ham United shirt.
Leicester needs experienced heads like Simpson in the squad to make the transition better for the next generation of players. Instead of simply opting to let the player run out his contract, it would be wise to give him a short-term extension while considering a top-pedigree replacement.
The Foxes could certainly do with the squad depth if they plan on getting back to title-winning standards any time soon. They certainly have the resources to pursue high profile names in the position while also keeping their current players for a few more years.
With the amount of experience Simpson has under his sleeves, it will not be a wise decision for the Foxes to let go of him without finding an able replacement. So, it can be said that a new deal for the 31-year-old might be imminent at the King Power Stadium.
