West Bromwich Albion centre-back Semi Ajayi has signed a new contract at The Hawthorns to keep him at the club until the summer of 2025, the club have confirmed this afternoon.

The 28-year-old has been one of the first names on the teamsheet under current boss Steve Bruce, making 31 league appearances in total during the 2021/22 campaign and was part of a defence that conceded just 45 goals in 46 league games.

Unfortunately, their poor record in the final third has consigned them to second-tier football once again next season, perhaps harsh on Ajayi who has been excellent under Bruce and will be craving a return to the Premier League.

 

 

Despite this setback, the Nigeria international has committed his future to the West Midlands outfit with his previous contract running out in just over 12 months and he follows David Button and Alex Palmer in signing fresh terms ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Although his African Cup of Nations campaign limited his game time, the 28-year-old spent the latter stages of Valerien Ismael's tenure on the bench and with that, his future became uncertain with the Frenchman preferring the likes of Kyle Bartley, Matt Clarke and Cedric Kipre.

He could be a regular starter throughout next term though with Clarke returning to Brighton and Kipre and Kean Bryan potentially set to depart The Hawthorns this summer.

The Verdict:

This is a good move from Albion because they will want to get some of their assets tied down to secure their futures and also maximise their price tag because it wouldn't be a surprise if they were to cash in on the centre-back in the coming years.

They may not get a huge amount for him - but every small fee could help as Albion look to ensure they abide by the EFL's profitability and sustainability rules - something CEO Ron Gourlay will probably be particularly keen to do.

Although the sanctions for breaching these financial rules weren't implemented until he left Reading, he was a key part of the second-tier that overspent at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, though some of this spending also took place during the summer after his departure.

In terms of this agreement specifically, it could give Bruce the license to put the likes of Kipre and/or Bryan on the transfer list without having to worry about Ajayi potentially going as well, so this will only go on to aid their summer plans.

The Nigerian could even be key in helping a youngster like Caleb Taylor to break through into the first team, so there's definitely an important role for the 28-year-old both on and off the pitch.