From Orlando Pirates outcast to R350 million Premier League player
Quite a rise.
Marshall Munetsi wasn’t deemed good enough for Orlando Pirates in 2019 but now he’ll be playing in the Premier League. Look at this wild ride of a journey!
Munetsi could debut for Wolves against Liverpool
28-year-old Zimbabwean midfield maestro Marshall Munetsi has completed a deadline-day €18 million (R349 million) switch to English Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers from Reims in France’s Ligue 1. It’s been a sharp rise for a player who Pirates rejected only six years ago. Munetsi will earn a reported €51k (R1 million) per week with Wolves. According to KickOff, he was earning as little as R5k a month at one point in South Africa. We could see him debut for the club as soon as Sunday 09 February when Wolves travel to Blackburn in the FA Cup. If not, his bow could come at Anfield against Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday 16 Feb.
Munetsi’s journey so far
The classy midfield general started his club journey with Blue Rangers FC in Zimbabwe. Then he embarked on a four-year South African adventure including stints with FC Cape Town, Orlando Pirates and Baroka. In 2019, after two years with Pirates, he got his big European move to Reims on a free transfer. Now, he’s made a blockbuster €18 million (R349 million) switch to the cash-rich Premier League with Birmingham-based Wolves. An all-action operator in the middle of the park, Munetsi stands 1.88m tall, scored 21 goals and supplied 14 assists in 159 games for Reims. He also picked up 33 yellow cards in that time. Needless to say, he’ll bring plenty of bite to the Wolves side.
Crazy to think how much can change in six years. This is a player who was let go for free by Orlando Pirates and now he’s moved for a shade under R350 million.
Will Munetsi thrive in the demanding environment in the Premier League?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website’s newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.