Emmanuel Agbadou Joins Wolves in £16.6m Deal

Emmanuel Agbadou has joined Wolves for £16.6m from Reims. The 27-year-old centre-back has agreed to a four-and-a-half-year contract with the option of an additional year, marking the first signing under new manager Vitor Pereira. This move also ends Wolves’ pursuit of Lens defender Kevin Danso as the club opted for Agbadou instead. Sporting director Matt Hobbs praised Agbadou’s hunger and drive, stating, “Emmanuel’s a winner and he’s driven… he’s the type of player the Wolves fans should love, because you’re going to get absolutely everything he’s got.”

He added that when Pereira arrived at the club, strengthening the defense was the first priority, given the tight schedule and the number of games in January. Wolves, who have been struggling in the Premier League were in need of a defender after selling captain Max Kilman to West Ham for £40m last summer and losing Yerson Mosquera to a long-term knee injury in September. Agbadou, an Ivory Coast international has been with Reims for the last two-and-a-half years after joining from Belgian club KAS Eupen in 2022.

He made 76 appearances for the Ligue 1 side, scoring three goals and leaves the club in 11th place, eight points off the top four. Emmanuel Agbadou arrives at Molineux with Wolves currently out of the Premier League relegation zone by goal difference. The team has conceded 45 goals, the most in the league but has scored 31, the eighth-best in the division. Wolves’ next match is against Bristol City in the FA Cup on Saturday, followed by a league trip to Newcastle on January 15.