Wolves captain Semedo to leave on free transfer
Wolves had already sold Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri, and Wednesday saw confirmation that Nelson Semedo will not renew with the club.
Nelson Semedo has confirmed he will not sign a new contract with Wolves and will leave as a free agent, following the expiration of his deal in June.
Semedo helped Wolves avoid relegation from the Premier League in 2024-25, having been appointed as club captain when Mario Lemina was stripped of the armband midway through the campaign.
He played a key role as Vitor Pereira led Wolves to a 16th-placed finish, with a club-record six-match-winning run helping them finish 17 points clear of the bottom three.
Wolves reportedly offered the 31-year-old a four-year contract that would have made him one of the club's highest-earning players, though he was also linked with Benfica and Besiktas.
Semedo's departure has been expected for two months and Wolves looked like they had sourced a replacement in Spain Under-21 full-back Marc Pubill, only for Atletico Madrid to hijack their negotiations with Almeria and sign him for €20m.
Wolves currently have Ki-Jana Hoever, Rodrigo Gomes and Pedro Lima as options at right wing-back, while they are also seeking a replacement for left wing-back Rayan Ait-Nouri after he joined Manchester City.
"The time has arrived and I want to thank you all for these five years, and tell you that you made grow so much as an athlete and as a person," Semedo wrote on Instagram.
"I always tried my best every single day to represent this club the way it deserves, and I made sure that I always left the pitch with nothing else to give.
"Things took lots of time, but the club knows that I have always been transparent with them because I really want us to be on the level that we must be.
"I met beautiful people that I will take in my heart and led the club as a captain. You have no idea how proud and happy I am for that. I love you and I'll miss you."
Semedo joined Wolves from Barcelona in a £27m deal in 2021, becoming a key player after a difficult first season in England.
He only missed four league games last term, registering four assists in 34 outings.
