Warriors vice-captain Marshall Munetsi established a new reference point for Zimbabwean players after moving to Wolverhampton Wanderers, an English Premiership team, on deadline day for a fee estimated to be around €20 million, surpassing all previous transfer records for Zimbabwean players abroad.
Munetsi, who dominated transfer headlines on deadline day, is now the most expensive Zimbabwean player, surpassing Tino Kadewere's €15 million record when he joined French Ligue 1 side Lyon from second-tier club Le Havre in 2020.
Zimbabwe captain Marvelous Nakamba was also involved in a mult-million-dollar transfer when he joined Aston Villa from modest Belgian club Club Brugge for a deal valued around $17 million a few years ago.
Mac Motheo Mokotso Munetsi has now surpassed that record.
Munetsi was summoned to a medical session yesterday after the two clubs had negotiated a transfer deal, which will reunite him with former teammate Emmanuel Agbadou at Wolverhampton Wanderers, who was also transferred for a similar €20 million amount.
The player's new valuation, however, indicates a considerable change in his market worth, having been estimated at approximately €5m only two years ago by the reputable Transfermarkt football website.
Munetsi has become the main transfer target for Wolves on deadline day as VÃtor Pereira's team focuses on strengthening their midfield following a challenging performance in the current English Premier League season.
Warriors also have Tawanda Chirewa returning to the club after he was sent on loan to Derby County.
Chirewa, an attacking midfielder who has been a regular part of the Warriors team coached by Michael Nees, has been sent on loan to Derby County from Wolverhampton Wanderers for the 2024-25 season.
Derby County terminated the loan early due to injuries, and Chirewa returned to Wolves in January 2025.
Another player of Zimbabwean descent, striker Leon Chiwome, is also registered with the Wanderers.
But it is Munetsi's arrival at Molineux that contributes to the number of Warriors in the English Premiership, considered the world's top league currently.
Wolves climbed out of the bottom three over the weekend following their 2-0 win over Aston Villa.
Munetsi was supposed to replace midfielder Mario Lemina, who was also supposed to join after agreeing to a $2.8 million transfer to the Turkish club Galatasaray.
The Gabonese international started the current season as Wolves' team captain and had just been recognized as Supporters' Player of the Season for the 2023/24 season.
However, the pressure of being the captain became too much for Lemina at Molineux. His performances which initially improved then declined, and supporters witnessed some emotional reactions from the 31-year-old, which ultimately culminated in the scuffle with Jarrod Bowen that led to him losing the captaincy.
Munetsi is being considered the top candidate to replace him, but he comes at a cost of roughly 10 times the amount Hamouche was reportedly earning for playing in the national team.
Munetsi's career path has been quite remarkable, which could result in a Premier League appearance, all within just five and a half years since transitioning to European football.
He has consistently performed at Stade de Reims, where he secured a contract extension up to 2026, before his initial deal was set to expire in 2024.
In addition to becoming a well-known figure in the top division of the French football league, the midfielder has made a significant impact in Europe, ranking among the top performers in several categories in the top five leagues on the continent.
He has consistently performed for the French club, both as a midfielder and occasionally as a defender.
FBref ranked Munetsi in the top six percent of midfielders in Europe for his aerials won per 90 minutes, with an average of 2.10.
The report also compares Munetsi to four current Premier League players statistically, comparable to Tomas Soucek, Joelinton, Ryan Yates, and Mikel Merino.
Munetsi joined Stade de Reims from the renowned South African Premier League outfit Orlando Pirates in 2019 and has since become a consistent member of the squad.
He has participated in 21 games across all competitions this season.
Munetsi began his football career at Ali Sundowns Alumni School in Mabvuku.
He was later educated under the care of the Harare-based Friendly Academy.
Locally, he made his mark with the now-cancelled Blue Rangers in the home league when he was still a teenager.
He then made his breakthrough when he signed with South African club FC Cape Town in 2015, and the following year was signed by former African champions Orlando Pirates, who initially loaned him to fellow PSL side, Baroka.
His major achievement in Europe came in 2019 when he transferred to Stade de Reims from Pirates.
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