Fresh twist emerges following Semi Ajayi, West Brom exit | OneFootball

Semi Ajayi is believed to have turn down a new West Brom contract offer on reduced terms.

Former West Brom defender Semi Ajayi reportedly turned down a fresh contract offer at The Hawthorns on reduced terms.

The Nigerian international departed the Black Country outfit after six years with the club, amassing 177 appearances in all competitions and scoring 13 goals.

Following Ajayi out the door at Albion is Grady Diangana, who too spent six years with the club, while John Swift also departs after moving to B71 back in the summer of 2022 under Steve Bruce.

It’s destined to be a summer of change at the Baggies after a disappointing end to the campaign with Tony Mowbray, with a new manager needing to be installed, as well as significant surgery to the playing squad to help the team compete for a promotion push back to the top-flight.

One area West Brom will need to address is in central defence now Ajayi has exited, with the club set to miss the EFL experience the 31-year-old possesses, despite his recent fitness issues.

Semi Ajayi turned down new West Brom contract to leave The Hawthorns

As per the Express & Star, it has been revealed that Semi Ajayi refused to sign a new contract at The Hawthorns in order to take on a new challenge this summer.

Albion were keen to extend Ajayi’s current deal by offering him reduced terms, but the 31-year-old has decided to embark on a new chapter in his career after six seasons in the West Midlands.

Signing from Rotherham United for a reported £1.5 million fee, Ajayi helped the Baggies gain promotion back to the Premier League under Slaven Bilic back in 2020, before being a regular in Albion’s top-flight campaign that ultimately saw them bounce back to the second tier.

Gametime in his final two seasons at the club were limited, with Carlos Corberan preferring to field the duo of Cedric Kipre and Kyle Bartley on their run to the play-offs, while Bartley usually partnered Torbjorn Heggem this season under a combination of the Spaniard and Mowbray.

It was a frustrating final term for Ajayi, who faced four months on the sidelines following hamstring surgery back in October 2024, while a reoccurrence of the same injury against Oxford United saw the defender spend another few weeks out.

From his second layoff, Ajayi would only feature off the bench in Albion’s final game of the season against Luton Town, going through his Hawthorns swansong as the Baggies secured a 5-3 victory under interim boss James Morrison.

While it is bound to be disappointing news for West Brom supporters to see Semi Ajayi didn’t want to extend his career at the Hawthorns, the club should still be well-equipped in that department to deal with another 46-game slog of a Championship season.

In the light of Ajayi’s departure, Caleb Taylor returns to the fold following an impressive spell at Wycombe Wanderers, with the academy graduate hoping it will finally be his time to stake a claim for regular first-team football in the blue and white stripes.

The Baggies also have Bartley and Heggem in the ranks heading into the summer, while the upcoming transfer window has already seen the club linked with further defensive reinforcements, such as Gara Diouf and George Campbell.