View: Semi Ajayi West Brom rejuvenation under Steve Bruce could lead to Premier League move
As West Brom fell from the Premier League last season, you could argue their stand-out defender was Semi Ajayi and they’d be lucky to keep hold of him.
As the new season begun with Valerien Ismael in charge, Ajayi lost his place in the team. Dara O’Shea, Kyle Bartley and Matthew Clarke were the first-choice central defenders in a back three and Ajayi had been relegated to a bench role.
Even when O’Shea got injured, it was Cedric Kipre who stepped into his place and all Ajayi could do was watch on as the team struggled to keep up with pre-season expectations.
In came Steve Bruce in February, looking to save the day at The Hawthorns to get West Brom to where many feel they belong – the Premier League.
His first port of call was to restore Ajayi to the starting lineup once he returned to the squad from the African Cup of Nations where he represented Nigeria.
Since returning he has been an ever-present in the side, starting every game under Bruce and becoming that solid presence in the heart of the defence that he had been 12 months previously.
Much like then though, while he played well individually he couldn’t quite affect the form of the team in a positive way and they continued to slide down the table.
Now they’ve stabilised and despite being four games unbeaten the playoffs look like a long shot, meaning that Championship football next season is a very likely possibility.
But with his performances in this Baggies side in the second half of the season, Ajayi has proven that he can play at a higher level than this.
Come the summer the Nigerian will have just 12 months remaining on his deal at the Midlands club and Premier League clubs will surely be taking a peak at a cut-price deal.
Potential promoted clubs like Fulham and Bournemouth could look to take him up with them, while clubs such as Brentford, Leeds, Brighton and Southampton are always avid watchers of the lower leagues to find a gem.
He’s not young anymore, but he’s entering his prime years and you know what you’ll get with Ajayi in your side. A solid, committed defender who is comfortable on the ball and happy to defend.
While Bruce brought him back into the fold to help West Brom rise from their poor situation, he may have inadvertently helped them lose their best defender a year early by putting his talents back into the spotlight.
In other West Brom news, Steve Bruce’s West Brom future undecided, conversations to be had at board level – report