SHEFFIELD, United Kingdom – Zimbabwe captain Marvelous Nakamba has signed for English Championship side Sheffield Wednesday for the remainder of the season after terminating his contract with Luton Town by mutual consent.
The 32-year-old midfielder put pen to paper on Monday, deadline day of the January transfer window, bringing to an end a three-year association with the Hatters.
Luton chief executive Gary Sweet paid tribute to Nakamba, describing him as a key figure in the club’s recent success.
“Marvelous has been a huge part of our success, a special character who came to add real quality at the time we needed it to help us to promotion,” Sweet said.
“He has been a pleasure to have around the club, always smiling, even through some tough times personally with injury.
“Everyone at Luton Town thanks Marv for his contribution in his three years at Kenilworth Road. He will always be a welcome visitor, and we wish him every success for his future career.”
Born in Hwange, Nakamba began his professional career with Bantu Rovers in Bulawayo before moving to French side AS Nancy in 2012.
He later enjoyed a three-year stint with Vitesse Arnhem in the Netherlands before joining Belgian giants Club Brugge in 2017.
His performances earned him a big-money move to Aston Villa, where he made 58 Premier League appearances across four seasons.
Nakamba joined Luton Town on loan in January 2023 and quickly became a fans’ favourite, playing a central role as the club secured Premier League promotion via the play-offs.
He signed permanently the following summer and went on to make 14 Premier League appearances before Luton’s relegation. He featured 23 times as the club returned to the Championship.
However, persistent injury problems limited his involvement as Luton slipped further down to League One, with Nakamba making 61 appearances for the club in total.
At international level, Nakamba has been a mainstay for Zimbabwe, making his debut at the age of 21 and later being appointed Warriors captain.
He has earned 36 caps and represented Zimbabwe at the Africa Cup of Nations on three occasions, including AFCON 2025, where he wore the armband.
He joins a Sheffield Wednesday side that is deep in relegation trouble after they had 18 points deducted for regulation breaches. They were docked 12 points after filing for administration in October last year, and a further six points after failing to pay their players.
Wednesday, who have just one win and eight draws in 29 matches, currently sit on -7 points, a staggering 34 points from Oxford United in 23rd and 40 points from safety. There are 17 remaining fixtures on the calendar which can yield 51 points if Wednesday won all their matches – an impossible task.
