West Brom consider offering Ajayi a one-year extension to his contract with reduced pay

ENGLISH Championship side West Bromwich Albion (WBA) are considering offering Super Eagles defender Semi Ajayi a one-year contract extension at the end of the season when his current deal expires.

Ajayi, 31, has been at West Brom since 2019 but the last few seasons have been topsy-turvy time for him as injury has limited his appearances. Before injury struck, he was one of the first choices at the Hawthorns, helping the team gain promotion to the Premier League but could unfortunately, he could not help them stay afloat in the top flight as the Baggies got relegated at the end of the 2020/21 season.

Since then, Ajayi has struggled to regain his previous form due to injuries. Since the 2021/22 season, the former Arsenal man has missed about a quarter of West Brom's Championship games at least with last campaign being the worst as he only featured in only 15 of the club's 46 league games.

Due to his injury problems and his age, WBA was said to be looking to release Ajayi in the summer. With the club narrowly missing out on a playoff place this season, they are looking to bring in reinforcements and get some players off their books to enable them  mount a promotion challenge next season.

Ajayi has been linked with a transfer to Hull City and Reading recently but nothing concrete has emerged so far. However, in a new development, WBA are considering offering Ajayi a one-year contract extension but he would have to take a wage cut for the deal to go through.

At the moment, Ajayi earns around £850,000 annually but this would be cut significantly in a new contract if he agrees to stay at the club. Staying with WBA and taking a slight pay cut might be a good idea, especially as the club looks good enough to fight for promotion.

On the other hand, Ajayi is on the wrong side of 30, so it will be understandable if his next move is influenced by the size of a pay cheque. If a Saudi Arabian or Qatari club comes calling, it would not be a bad idea if he says goodbye to England.