"Best for all parties" - West Brom tipped to part ways with long-serving player this summer | OneFootball

Our Albion fan pundit thinks Semi Ajayi will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of this season

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Our West Brom fan pundit believes out-of-favour centre-back Semi Ajayi should not be offered a new contract by the club and so should be allowed to leave upon the expiry of his current deal at the end of this season.

Ajayi is currently the Baggies' second longest-serving player - he joined the club from Rotherham United in 2019 for a reported fee of £1.5 million after being one of the Millers' key men in the second and third-tiers.

The London-born Nigeria international transferred that form and status to his time in the West Midlands seamlessly, and helped Albion to win promotion to the Premier League in his first season at the club, but has become increasingly less influential at The Hawthorns over the last few years due to injuries and other players impressing in his absence.

His contract at the club is now up at the end of this season, and while he should still be able to garner interest from across the Championship at 31-years-old, it does feel as if his time with West Brom is nearing a natural end.

West Brom prediction issued over Semi Ajayi's future

Ajayi has played 174 times for West Brom in his five-and-a-half years at the club, but has failed to feature in more than 27 games in either of the last two seasons, and as it stands, he has been sidelined since November after picking up a hamstring injury against Cardiff City.

The 31-year-old is yet to play under recently re-appointed boss Tony Mowbray, and while he is on the comeback trail and could return to the squad soon, it seems unlikely that he will force his way into the starting eleven for a sustained period ahead of Kyle Bartley, Torbjorn Heggem or Mason Holgate.

Given the situation Ajayi finds himself in, our Albion fan pundit, Callum Burgess, has predicted the Nigerian international to depart upon the expiry of his contract at the end of June, especially considering the talent coming through their youth ranks in the same position.

“This is probably the best time for Semi Ajayi to move on, with his contract expiring in the summer,” Callum told FLW.

“His first season at the club under Slaven Bilic was probably his best season, where he was one of the best centre-backs in the division.

“I believe that, since then, he’s not really been able to hit those same heights.

“Last season he was a bit of a peripheral figure, with Cedric Kipre being chosen to partner Kyle Bartley for the majority of the season.

“He was in the team at points, but he did pick up that injury, of course, which has meant that he’s missed a large majority of this season.

“You’d suspect that this injury could have an impact on his speed, which is probably his main attribute to bail him out of trouble at times. If that is the case, then you’re probably not looking at a top Championship defender, as he does have a few mistakes in him too.

“It’s probably best for all parties for him to move on, especially when you’ve got Caleb Taylor coming through, who is hopefully going to continue where he left off at Wycombe to be able to come into the team next season.

“That will probably be an important area for Albion to strengthen in the summer as well, with Bartley also reaching the end of his contract at The Hawthorns.

“It might be best for all parties for Ajayi to have a fresh start.”

Ajayi may leave West Brom but would be a smart signing for many Championship teams

Experience as a centre-back is vital, particularly in the second-tier, and Ajayi has that in abundance with nearly 200 appearances in the Championship throughout his career so far.

His time at West Brom does look to be petering out, but it cannot be understated how good he once was and likely still can be at the level, when fit. That is the biggest problem he faces, however, as injuries have certainly taken their toll on him over the last few years and clubs may not want to take a gamble on a player with a record like his.

Ajayi possesses the traits that are needed in a centre-back in the Championship, in that he is a strong tackler, likes to play out from the back, and is a relatively consistent scorer for a defender. Just last season, he ranked highly in metrics for goals per 90, progressive carries per 90 and long passes completed per 90, when compared to other second-tier centre-backs using FBref.

His international career is impressive for a player who has completed just one season in the top-flight too, with 39 Nigeria caps to his name, while he was the only Nigerian player to feature in every single minute of their seven matches at the 2023 African Cup of Nations as they went on to finish as runners-up.

With that said, it may well be the case that both parties are in agreement over his lack of future at The Hawthorns this summer, but it would not be a surprise to see him continuing his career at a similar level for a good few years yet.