Semi Ajayi is set to join West Brom from newly-relegated League One side Rotherham United, according to the Express and Star.

The 25-year-old centre back was one of the standout players for Rotherham United in the 2018/19 Championship season, despite suffering relegation back to the third tier.

It could be a very bleak future for the Millers if they fail to replace Ajayi adequately, with the centre back being a key figure in their central defence. For West Brom, this could be a really useful signing as they look to get back to the Premier League.

Having signed Kenneth Zohore from Cardiff City on a four-year contract, new manager Slaven Bilic is building a squad capable of doing just that. Ajayi would only help them even further.

However, West Brom face fierce competition for promotion from existing Championship sides such as Leeds United and Derby County, as well as newly-relegated Premier League sides Fulham, Huddersfield Town and Cardiff City.

Getting promotion will be even trickier for the Baggies this year, although they have a brilliant manager in Slaven Bilic who could take them back to the top flight of English football.

Here's one winner and one loser as West Brom look to seal the deal for Semi Ajayi.

Winner: Sam Johnstone

Goalkeeper Johnstone joined West Brom permanently last summer after spending several years out on loan from former parent club Manchester United.

The 26-year-old has had a reasonably good first season in the west midlands, despite not being able to send his club through to the play-off final in a penalty shoot-out against rivals Aston Villa.

Having that increased competition in central defence is likely to make the starting centre-backs raise their game, as they know that their place in the starting eleven isn't safe anymore. This applies to Ahmed Hegazi and Kyle Bartley especially.

By bolstering this defence and allowing the centre backs to raise their game, this will give Johnstone great confidence that he has a capable West Brom backline in front of him. This will help Johnstone put in even better performances.

This is crucial for West Brom because errors by goalkeepers are often the most costly mistakes in football.

Loser: Kyle Bartley

Ahmed Hegazi was named as the supporters' player of the season in the 2018/19 campaign, showcasing how much talent the Egyptian has and how important he is to the West Brom team.

With the likely signing of Ajayi on the horizon, Bartley may lose his place in the starting lineup if he fails to perform well for West Brom at the start of the season. Ajayi could overtake Bartley in the pecking order before the season has even started.

At 28, Bartley is now arguably at the peak of his playing powers and needs to be playing football week in, week out at this stage before he progresses in to his thirties.

Ajayi is three years younger than the former Swansea defender and could be seen as a longer term option, as opposed to Kyle Bartley.

He's likely to be one of the players that loses out the most when the deal is sealed for the Rotherham United defender.