Wolves have agreed a deal to sign Kieran Trippier on a free transfer, with the former Newcastle defender set to join the Championship club after his departure from St James' Park. The 35-year-old has agreed a two-year deal with the option of a third year, although confirmation is still waiting on a medical.
That medical is due to take place when Trippier returns from a family holiday next week, opening the way for Wolves to complete one of their most eye-catching moves of the summer. The club beat off competition from a host of sides on the continent to land a player Rob Edwards sees as a leader who can help drive them back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
For Trippier, the move ends four years at Newcastle and begins a new chapter as a free agent after he announced in early April that he was leaving the club. He joined from Atletico Madrid in January 2022 and went on to make 160 appearances in all competitions, becoming a central figure in a period that included last year's Carabao Cup triumph.
His departure has been viewed at Newcastle as the close of a spell that helped shift the club's direction on the pitch. Eddie Howe paid tribute before Trippier left, saying the defender deserved recognition for taking on the challenge of joining a team fighting relegation in the Premier League and for playing an unbelievable part in Newcastle's run to the Champions League.
Howe said Trippier's decision to come from a highly successful side in Spain had to be celebrated because it carried risk, adding that the team stayed up and never looked back. He also pointed to the cup final, calling Trippier magnificent and gigantic on the day Newcastle lifted the trophy with Bruno Guimaraes and Jamaal Lascelles.
Wolves, newly relegated to the Championship, now have the chance to add a seasoned international defender with top-level experience and a clear leadership role in mind. The move is still subject to the medical, but all the key pieces of the deal are in place, and Trippier is expected to be a major part of Wolves' push for an immediate return to the top flight.
