Wolves open talks to sign Kieran Trippier on free transfer
Wolves have opened talks with Kieran Trippier as the 35-year-old nears free agency, a move that would add leadership and Premier League experience to a promotion push.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have moved early to try to make Kieran Trippier their first summer signing, opening talks with the Newcastle United captain as they look for proven leadership after relegation.
Trippier, 35, is due to leave Newcastle when his contract expires at the end of June, and reports say he has already agreed to the switch in principle. The right-back would arrive on a free transfer, giving Wolves a seasoned Premier League defender without a fee at a time when the club is trying to rebuild quickly for the Championship season, which is scheduled to begin over the weekend of August 14-16, 2026.
The attraction is clear. Rob Edwards has said Wolves need more leaders this summer, and chairman Nathan Shi has set the target at automatic promotion back to the Premier League. Trippier fits that brief almost perfectly: he has played at the top level for years, has survived the pressure of title races and European football, and would bring an edge that Wolves will want in a division where margins are thin and experience matters.
His record at Newcastle explains why Wolves see him as a statement addition. Trippier joined from Atletico Madrid in January 2022 as the first signing of Newcastle’s Saudi-backed era, went on to make 157 appearances in all competitions and helped the club qualify for the Champions League twice. He also played the full 90 minutes in Newcastle’s 2-1 EFL Cup final victory over Liverpool in March 2025, when the club ended a 70-year wait for a domestic trophy.
Eddie Howe described Trippier as “magnificent” and said his standards changed the club’s trajectory, a sign of how central the defender became at St James’ Park. Trippier said leaving was emotional and called winning that trophy the best of his career.
Newcastle’s willingness to let him go reflects a squad moving into a new phase. With Bruno Guimaraes, Jamaal Lascelles and Tino Livramento among the names shaping the next cycle, the club is continuing to refresh its roster, and Trippier’s exit would close the book on one of the defining signings of the modern Newcastle era. Wolves are not alone in showing interest, but if they complete the deal, they will have added one of the most experienced free agents available to a promotion chase that already carries immediate pressure.
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