The time has finally come for Wolves fans to officially say goodbye to captain Nelson Semedo, who released a statement to supporters on social media.
When the curtain closed on the 2024/25 campaign, Wolves knew the future of their captain needed to be resolved with his contract expiring on June 30.
Wolves offered Semedo a four-year contract at the end of May, yet the Portuguese right-back continued to state he needed time to make a decision.
Once he was technically a free agent after failing to inform supporters of his next steps, everyone accepted that Semedo had left Molineux, with even manager Vitor Pereira revealing that the 31-year-old was looking to take on another challenge.
Now, exactly a month after his contract officially expired, the former Barcelona defender has addressed supporters on Instagram.
Nelson Semedo officially confirms Wolves exit with Instagram post
On Wednesday, July 30, Semedo wrote on Instagram: “The time has arrived and I want to thank you all for these 5 years, and tell you that you made grow so much as a athlete and as a person.
“I always tried my best every single day to represent this club on 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 always been transparent with them cause i really want us to be on the level we must be.
“I met beautiful people that I will take in my heart and lead the club as a captain, I think you have no idea how proud and happy I am for that.
“I love you and I’ll miss you. Once a Wolves, always a Wolves.
“Wolves ay we.”
Nobody could ever fault the defender’s commitment to the cause, especially last season, when he took on the responsibility of being captain.
But the signs were always there to suggest that another captain wanted to walk out of Molineux. Semedo filmed his goodbye video in May in preparation for his likely exit, and now, life without the Portuguese wing-back can officially begin.
Who Wolves are looking to sign to replace Semedo
Unsurprisingly, the task of replacing a quality player like Semedo has proven difficult, seeing several of their targets move elsewhere.
Wolves were interested in Kyle Walker-Peters, though the Englishman made the switch to West Ham and is now playing under Graham Potter.
Annoyingly, Wolves were close to signing Marc Pubill from Almeria; however, Atletico Madrid hijacked a move for Pubill, with the 22-year-old moving to the Spanish giants instead.
Vladimir Coufal is an option for Wolves, but the Molineux News understands they aren’t rushing to find a replacement, even though the season starts in less than three weeks.
Ki-Jana Hoever has impressed in pre-season, and he has emerged as an option to fill that void, though the majority of supporters want someone who is of a similar level to Semedo in the wing-back role.