Joao Moutinho has decided to leave Wolverhampton Wanderers after his contract with the club comes to an end this season, manager Julen Lopetegui announced in a press conference.

Moutinho did not travel to London with the Wolves squad for their Premier League finale against Arsenal as he prepares for his exit from the club. It is believed that the veteran midfielder already has offers to continue his career elsewhere.

Lopetegui said in his press conference that Moutinho had chosen not to be a part of the squad for the game against Arsenal and confirmed that he was going to leave the club at the end of the season. The manager, however, refused to go into specifics as he preferred the player and club to make the official announcement.

Wolves set for new era with Joao Moutinho exit

Moutinho has been a stalwart for Wolves since joining the club in 2018 from AS Monaco after they gained promotion to the Premier League. The Portuguese midfielder has featured 212 times in five seasons at the club.

Joao Moutinho, expected to leave Wolves 🇵🇹

Lopetegui confirms that JM will not be part of squad again: "I think it’s better the club or Joao confirms his future, not me in press conference…".

"I hope Raul Jimenez can stay with us next year, he’s under contract", he added. pic.twitter.com/DlL0DsKluh

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 27, 2023

Moutinho’s exit from the Molineux Stadium, coupled with the rumoured exit of Ruben Neves, means that the club will be without the pair of midfielders that have been with them throughout their stay in the Premier League.

Manager Lopetegui will have work on his hands rebuilding the midfield, but he already has Joao Gomes, Matheus Nunes and the experienced Mario Lemina to call upon. The club will have to invest in new midfielders if both players leave this summer.

Moutinho is not retiring from professional football and is expected to announce his new club in the coming weeks.