West Brom must avoid Cedric Kipre repeat by securing new deal for 30-year-old: Opinion
West Brom saw a number of first-team players move on in the summer transfer window, with centre-back Cedric Kipre among them.
West Brom decided to sell the likes of Brandon Thomas-Asante, Okay Yokuslu and Conor Townsend in the summer, but there were several who left at the end of their contracts like Kipre.
The Ivorian centre-back had starred with the Baggies in the 2023/24 campaign and earned a good move as a result. Ligue 1 side Stade Reims brought Kipre in, giving him a shot in the top-tier of French football.
Of course, he moves on with the best wishes of those at The Hawthorns. In an ideal world though, he would have been tied down to a new deal earlier and kept onboard beyond the end of last campaign.
Now that the transfer window is done, West Brom should avert their focus to ensuring the same doesn’t happen with their key players who are out of contract in 2025. Among those is Nigerian international Semi Ajayi, someone who the club should be actively looking to hold onto.
A key figure
With Kipre gone, Ajayi has been back in the West Brom starting XI this season. He played 27 times last season but many of those came off the bench for Carlos Corberan’s side.
However, he’s started every game in the Baggies’ unbeaten start to the Championship campaign alongside Kyle Bartley and will be backed to retain it. His towering presence and the back and elite physical attributes can make him a brick wall on his day.
There are shaky moments in the 39-time Nigerian international’s game but he’s started this season positively and could form a great partnership with Bartley over the course of the full year.
To lose another centre-back mainstay next summer would be a tricky one for West Brom to contend with. Ajayi can be a leader in this talented group with vast experience under his belt and if not tied down, he’s sure to become a big asset elsewhere.
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