Gary O’Neil has hinted that one crucial member of his squad could extend his contract at Wolves.
The summer break has given Gary O’Neil the opportunity to properly assess his squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Due to the manager’s late arrival last summer, O’Neil was unable to gel with his team away from competitive action, making this break incredibly valuable to the boss.
Wolves would have been made aware of elements that need to be resolved ahead of the new season however, some areas of the squad need little attention.
Gary O’Neil hints that Mario Lemina will extend his contract at Wolves
One player whose stance in the squad is unquestionable is Mario Lemina, as the midfielder was made club captain this summer.
The 30-year-old showed how invaluable he is to O’Neil’s project last season, being a leader in midfield and an exemplary player that his teammates could always rely on.
There is one reservation regarding the Gabon international heading into the 2024/25, as he enters the final year of his Molineux contract.
Speaking to Express and Star, O’Neil admitted that he is confident that Lemina will sign a new deal at Wolves.
“The club will be looking at all sorts of things like that, Mario is important to us and the option gives the club an opportunity to extend and I’m sure we will do, I can’t see it being a problem.
“Mario is happy, he’s enjoying his new role and we’re happy with him.
“I don’t envisage Mario’s contract expiring at the end of the season, I think there will be something in place to make sure he stays past the end of the season.”
Fortunately, it shouldn’t be a complicated process to retain Lemina beyond next summer, as the club have the option to extend his current contract by one year.
Lemina’s presence is crucial to Wolves
When seeing the passion that Lemina carries on the pitch, it’s easy to forget that Wolves only acquired the midfielder in January 2023.
It’s been a thrilling year and a half for Lemina in the Midlands, where he has become a player of great importance to O’Neil.
The £9.7m that Wolves paid to sign the Gabonese ace is proving to be a steal, as the manager made it clear how valued the 30-year-old is by making him captain.
When it was announced that Lemina would be club captain, O’Neil admitted that the former Juventus midfielder was a ‘standout’ choice for the armband, describing him as a ‘hugely respected’ member of the club.
It’s a huge boost for Wolves to have a leader as prominent as Lemina on the pitch after losing the likes of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho.
Many fans will hope that O’Neil’s early prediction of Lemina’s future proves to be correct.