Fonte Joins West Ham - £8m Official

If Fonte signs for either West Ham or West Brom and his deal is similar to his Saints terms (either or existing or offered) I'd love to know the reason he's left. VVD fallout as suggested on here? Has club pushed him out? Has Fonte falled out with Reed? Alot of questions we likely won't know the answer to.

From what I've seen and heard in the media, I'd say he came back from the Euros expecting a juicy new contract and was told due to his age and his already generous deal, he wouldn't be getting one.

Now he has realised he isn't in fact bigger than Saints as no top clubs have come in for him. As such he is probably leaving out of spite and embarrassment, having burnt a lot of bridges.

BBC Solent Sport ‏@solentsport

We understand that #Saintsfc defender Jose Fonte has NOT undergone a medical at West Ham today

I'm aligned with this line of thinking. He clearly had ambitions of 'moving up' or being paid a ridiculous wage (à la Pelle), and it's all fallen flat after he burnt his bridges. All seems very unnecessary with hindsight, but that's football agents for you. West Ham or West Brom...jesus, you couldn't get a more sideways/pointless move - I doubt the pay increase will even be *that* much (but Mendes will get his fee, of course). At any rate, £10m-£12m and a Sakho-level replacement will be good business, so there isn't much cause to be too disgruntled.

Adam Blackmore said on Solent that sources had told him that Fonte's agent had told him to take the deal Southampton was offering and was Fonte who said no..

Not sure too many would agree with you there mate. Unlikely to play for us I would suggest, and if he does it would likely mean we are desperate or playing in The Championship again!

Considering he only played 17 times for saints in the first season here and not at all last season id like to ask those who disagree what they remember him doing wrong? I cant remember a match where he looked out of place , Was also Romania captain before his injury too wasn't he?

Considering he only played 17 times for saints in the first season here and not at all last season id like to ask those who disagree what they remember him doing wrong? I cant remember a match where he looked out of place , Was also Romania captain before his injury too wasn't he?

Gardos had a good game (coming on as a sub possibly to replace an injury) away at utd as I recall

Gardos had some good games (Utd and Arsenal away) but also some bad ones (Palace at home - incidentally, a worse performance under Koeman than anything under Puel).

Gardos had some good games (Utd and Arsenal away) but also some bad ones (Palace at home - incidentally, a worse performance under Koeman than anything under Puel).

Usually on here when a player doesn't play for a while they become our saviour but Gardos has became useless according to some!

Koeman on Jagielka: "It depends if there is interest from other clubs."

Might possibly indicate they want another centre-back?

£9million for him at 33, I guess it's hard to argue against it for that money. Wish he would see out his career with us, but how likely are we going to see that ever happen with any of our players bar someone like Kelvin or maybe Steven Davis in this day and age?

I can see JWP playing his whole career for us simply because both he and us as a club have pretty much the same "glass ceiling" of potential.

I can see JWP playing his whole career for us simply because both he and us as a club have pretty much the same "glass ceiling" of potential.

He will be here all the time Les Reed is here he idolises him...been at a couple of meetings and he rants and raves about him - "he could have gone to Oxford or Cambridge he is that bright" - I took it that was universities not the teams :-)

He will be here all the time Les Reed is here he idolises him...been at a couple of meetings and he rants and raves about him - "he could have gone to Oxford or Cambridge he is that bright" - I took it that was universities not the teams :-)

There are lots of bright people around but that doesn't mean they are bright footballers. He isn't.

There are lots of bright people around but that doesn't mean they are bright footballers. He isn't.

Earning a lot of money for something he isn't doing well at the moment so not that dim!

Alex Crook ‏@alex_crook 2m2 minutes ago

Been told the fee #whufc are paying #saintsfc for Jose Fonte is nearer to £10m. Not bad for a 33-year-old.

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Love how so many are finding a way to blame this whole scenario on Puel somehow. It's clear things have not been right with Jose since he stepped foot in Staplewood after the Euro's. No big spread from the club about our club captain winning an international tournament? No celebration of his achievements where we could lap up our role in his development as a player? There's no way we'd pass up an opportunity like that unless something went wrong somewhere, and Puel had barely stepped foot in the door at this point, but somehow it's his fault. Jesus wept.

I expect Puel is just an innocent bystander in this caught up between the Reed - Fonte feud.

Alex Crook ‏@alex_crook 2m2 minutes ago

 

Been told the fee #whufc are paying #saintsfc for Jose Fonte is nearer to £10m. Not bad for a 33-year-old.

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So probably about 2m then.

He will be here all the time Les Reed is here he idolises him...been at a couple of meetings and he rants and raves about him - "he could have gone to Oxford or Cambridge he is that bright" - I took it that was universities not the teams :-)

There I would refer you to the well known quotation attributed to Erasmus of Rotterdam. The one comparing the visually impaired to the partially visually impaired and their respective likelyhoods of becoming sovereign.

So probably about 2m then.

So just think if 10m is true...thats costing them at least 23m in wages signing on fees for a 33 year old.....laughable really.

Although as they got given a stadium for virtually nothing it doesn't matter to them much!

Why bother posting anything Crook tweets? He's shown that he knows f*ck all.

BBC Solent Sport ‏@solentsport

We understand that #Saintsfc defender Jose Fonte has NOT undergone a medical at West Ham today

Been told by going on the Internet.

BBC Solent Sport ‏@solentsport

We understand that #Saintsfc defender Jose Fonte has NOT undergone a medical at West Ham today

Bilic said first thing this morning that Fonte was not having a medical today. BBC Solent a bit slow on the uptake.

God, I really do feel embarrassed for Fonte. Backed himself into a corner based on promises from an agent, and ****ed himself up by doing so.

I find it hard to go along with this view. Andy Townsend said he had a deal sorted, because footballers don't hand in transfer requests if they haven't.

When I questioned this wisdom I was told that he (Townsend) was the expert because he was an ex pro and that tits on message boards cannot possibly know more than Andy Townsend. [incidentally, in case of doubt, I am not calling you a tit]

Adam Blackmore said on Solent that sources had told him that Fonte's agent had told him to take the deal Southampton was offering and was Fonte who said no..

Interesting.

*but that's football players for you

Adam Blackmore said on Solent that sources had told him that Fonte's agent had told him to take the deal Southampton was offering and was Fonte who said no..

Only reason Mendes would say that is if he personally made more money out of it.

Some of these radio flappers are just clueless.

West Ham or West Brom eh? So everything at Saints either goes sideways or backwards these days!

Only reason Mendes would say that is if he personally made more money out of it.

Some of these radio flappers are just clueless.

Adam Blackmore gets his info from the club so it will always paint them in good light.

West Ham or West Brom eh? So everything at Saints either goes sideways or backwards these days!

lol. This joke does deserve a bit of recognition

If Fonte does end up at West Ham or West Brom then that says more about his ambition and less about our ability to keep players.

He's clearly been spun a yarn by his Agent and him being able to demand a new contract or hold us to ransom.

We hold firm and get near £10M for an ageing defender who has by any calculation is past his peak

Well played SFC I say

We're not judging him on his earning power. A six year contract says more abut Reed than it does about JWP.

Adam Blackmore gets his info from the club so it will always paint them in good light.

No apparently it was other journalists he knows not the club that told him.

West Ham or West Brom eh? So everything at Saints either goes sideways or backwards these days!

or West

Alex Crook ‏@alex_crook 2m2 minutes ago

 

Been told the fee #whufc are paying #saintsfc for Jose Fonte is nearer to £10m. Not bad for a 33-year-old.

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The snippets Les Reed's PR boys feed to the press are like the jokes you pull out of Christmas crackers: fairly random and not to be taken seriously.

£8m now being reported. The hammers offered 7 first

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The snippets Les Reed's PR boys feed to the press are like the jokes you pull out of Christmas crackers: fairly random and not to be taken seriously.

They don't tell Crook anything.

West Ham? Jeez, get him off the banner.

Looking forward to Fonte's signing for West Ham interview when he tries to spin out that he has gone to a big club blah blah blah.....not exactly a top six team is it Jose ?

Something or someone must have right royally ****ed him off at Southampton

Looking forward to Fonte's signing for West Ham interview when he tries to spin out that he has gone to a big club blah blah blah.....not exactly a top six team is it Jose ?

 

Something or someone must have right royally ****ed him off at Southampton

Maybe VVD is earning more than him, he signed a 6 year bumper contract in the summer after all. Fonte wanted parity and to stick around for longer but wasn't offered it?

From what I've seen and heard in the media, I'd say he came back from the Euros expecting a juicy new contract and was told due to his age and his already generous deal, he wouldn't be getting one.

 

Now he has realised he isn't in fact bigger than Saints as no top clubs have come in for him. As such he is probably leaving out of spite and embarrassment, having burnt a lot of bridges.

...so a Chinese deal would suit him fine in that case.

The value of the Fonte deal is entirely down to how good his replacement is.

Sell Fonte for £10m and don't replace him = I'd rather have Fonte. £10m in the bank to a club that is already rich is pointless to me as a supporter.

Sell Fonte for £10m and attempt to replace him with a better player by using that money plus some more = good deal for Saints.

Sell Fonte for £10m and get in a cheap replacement = I'd rather have Fonte.

That said I have no doubts the club have attainable targets. I do wonder about Semedo - Lisbon got dumped out of Europe altogether in the first half of the season so have little to play for really and he does seem attainable to me.

The value of the Fonte deal is entirely down to how good his replacement is.

 

Sell Fonte for £10m and don't replace him = I'd rather have Fonte. £10m in the bank to a club that is already rich is pointless to me as a supporter.

 

Sell Fonte for £10m and attempt to replace him with a better player by using that money plus some more = good deal for Saints.

 

Sell Fonte for £10m and get in a cheap replacement = I'd rather have Fonte.

 

That said I have no doubts the club have attainable targets. I do wonder about Semedo - Lisbon got dumped out of Europe altogether in the first half of the season so have little to play for really and he does seem attainable to me.

You're assuming Fonte will be putting in 100% if we refuse to sell him, and won't be disruptive to the team. We look better without him this season. VVD has been much more vocal as captain than Fonte has been.

Personally, I'd get rid of him whatever. I'm perfectly happy with Yoshida at CB and using Gardos and Stephens as back-up.

All smacks of desperation to me. Did Fonte really hand in a transfer request on returning from the Euros to secure a dream move to WHU...

Was Fonte really a target for WHU or are they prepared to pay 10mil for a 33 year old just to sign someone because everyone else is knocking them back....

I'd be surprised if this was WHU and Fonte's master plan.

Considering he only played 17 times for saints in the first season here and not at all last season id like to ask those who disagree what they remember him doing wrong? I cant remember a match where he looked out of place , Was also Romania captain before his injury too wasn't he?

You didn't travel up to the Sheffield United game then? the worst CB performance I have seen since the dark days of Ollie Lancashire being dropped in the deep end.

I know he has had better games since, but to say he hasn't put a foot wrong is ********.

All smacks of desperation to me. Did Fonte really hand in a transfer request on returning from the Euros to secure a dream move to WHU...

 

Was Fonte really a target for WHU or are they prepared to pay 10mil for a 33 year old just to sign someone because everyone else is knocking them back....

 

I'd be surprised if this was WHU and Fonte's master plan.

West Ham plan?

You didn't travel up to the Sheffield United game then? the worst CB performance I have seen since the dark days of Ollie Lancashire being dropped in the deep end.

 

I know he has had better games since, but to say he hasn't put a foot wrong is ********.

Haha Ollie Lancashire there's a blast from the past. Guaranteed own goal or red card in almost every game. Now we possess one of the best centrebacks in the game, how things change aye.

You didn't travel up to the Sheffield United game then? the worst CB performance I have seen since the dark days of Ollie Lancashire being dropped in the deep end.

 

I know he has had better games since, but to say he hasn't put a foot wrong is ********.

Yeh I did that's what prompted my famous Mane thread and I know he was sent off but he still never looked out of place as the whole team were a disgrace and we still only lost by 1 goal so he cant have been much worse than anyone else!

Fontes head has been gone a long time - its like a divorce - as soon as you started thinking about it - it's hard to get that thought out of your head. So let him go - thanks for the effort mate

Yeh I did that's what prompted my famous Mane thread and I know he was sent off but he still never looked out of place as the whole team were a disgrace and we still only lost by 1 goal so he cant have been much worse than anyone else!

He was fekking woeful, but you are right he was not alone.

Im getting annoyed with people saying that Fonte leaving is great business. He probably has three more years in him and he is a top proven PL defender. It could in the end cost us more to loose him now than keep him a bit longer. A replacement as good as he is at this point is not coming cheap, everyone is looking for decent CB these days.

Its sad he wants to leave, especially since its a sideway move and hardly won't get much more money out if it. I wonder what really happened there..

It's a shame that for whatever reason he is on the verge of going. Black, wages, extra year, UEFA... whatever it is.

That said I'm not sure West Ham were the kind of club he was after....not really a massive trade up in terms of ability. Maybe potential. Maybe history but just premier league also rans.

Maybe he wants to be in London? Wouldn't be the first.

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It would be nice if we signed the replacement before Jose rocks up at his new club. Get the retaliation in first.

Im getting annoyed with people saying that Fonte leaving is great business. He probably has three more years in him and he is a top proven PL defender. It could in the end cost us more to loose him now than keep him a bit longer. A replacement as good as he is at this point is not coming cheap, everyone is looking for decent CB these days.

 

Its sad he wants to leave, especially since its a sideway move and hardly won't get much more money out if it. I wonder what really happened there..

VVD cost £12million.