Norwich City Opinion: Semi Ajayi would be a good signing for the Canaries
According to claims from Nigerian football website Sports247.ng, Norwich City have set their sights on Rotherham United midfielder Semi Ajayi in a bid to bolster their ranks in the summer.
The 25-year-old has been one of the few shining lights of Rotherham’s otherwise disappointing campaign in the Championship this season and has done exceedingly well for a team that has spent large quarters of the campaign in a relegation dogfight at the bottom of the table.
Rotherham’s relegation to League One has already been confirmed and Ajayi is likely to depart the club in the summer, as the Millers look to trim their wage bill heading into the third tier.
The same source claims that Ajayi is also likely to consider offers from a host of Championship clubs, though Norwich are still leading the race to sign him, having confirmed their promotion to the Premier League with a 2-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers earlier in the week.
Ajayi has been rotated at centre-back and holding midfield roles in the current campaign and the 25-year-old has filled in admirably at both positions, accumulating a total of 8 goals and an assist from 47 appearances in all competitions.
The gigantic midfielder has also earned international status this season and he looks a sure bet to make it to Nigeria’s squad for the African Cup of Nations scheduled to be held later in the year.
Born in Crayford, London, to parents of Nigerian descent, Ajayi came through the youth ranks at Charlton Athletic before being snapped up by Arsenal.
However, he failed to make the grade at the Emirates and featured on the bench for a handful of Premier League games before going on to play for Cardiff City, Crewe Alexandra and AFC Wimbledon. The 25-year-old joined Rotherham in 2017 on the back of a successful loan spell and has managed to carve out a name for himself amidst the club’s struggles with relegation.
To put things into perspective, Norwich City have every reason to look at Semi Ajayi as a useful squad player heading into the upcoming season.
He doesn’t have any prior experience of playing in the Premier League but the Canaries should keep in mind that his performances for a relegation-threatened outfit in the Championship have been absolutely top-drawer, so much so that he has earned 6 caps for Nigeria at the senior international level this season.
Standing at 6ft. 4 inches with a well-built frame, Ajayi is noted for his physicality and aerial ability, which allows him to slot effectively into both holding midfield and centre-back roles. A hardworking and tenacious midfielder with high levels of stamina, Ajayi not only excels with his raw power and physicality but he is also adept at reading the transitions in play.
He never shies away from making crunching challenges and is always ready to get his hands dirty, often cutting out attacks with tackles and interceptions, while also holding things together with work-rate.
The Nigerian has also earned plaudits for his distance-shooting abilities and Norwich themselves got a taste of that when he scored an absolute screamer at Carrow Road earlier in the season. The 25-year-old has averaged 4.3 aerial duels, 3.5 clearances, 2 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game in the Championship this season.
Norwich can look at his as a replacement for someone like Alexander Tettey, who is nearing the twilight of his career at 33. Also, the Canaries are set to lose the services of centre-back Timm Klose on a free transfer at the end of the season and bringing in a versatile player like Ajayi would be a good choice for the newly-promoted team.
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Semi Ajayi might not be the marquee signing who would set the stage on fire in the Premier League but he has all the makings of being a useful squad player at depth and Norwich should believe that he is capable of making the step up to the highest level at the ripe age of 25.
He is someone who can offer good value for money and the Canaries should not hesitate to sign him in the summer.
