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Fonte Joins West Ham - £8m Official


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http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38523114

 

Southampton's director of football Les Reed says the player has had the chance to sign an improved deal, but Fonte has now asked to leave the club.

 

"He's had several opportunities to improve the contract situation. He's reserved his right not to do that," Reed told BBC Radio Solent.

 

"He's made it very clear he would like to explore the opportunities for a transfer.

 

"That's where we are at the moment, Jose wants to leave the club. He's formally asked for a transfer."

 

Reed went on to confirm the club have not yet received any formal bid for the player,*who joined Saints from Crystal Palace*in January 2010, and has made 288 appearances.

 

Fonte was linked with a move to*Manchester United*in the summer after helping his country win Euro 2016, and he wrote on Instagram last month: "Just to set the record straight I did not reject a new contract. In fact, I have been informed by Southampton that they are not offering me a new contract."

 

However, Reed insists new terms have been offered to the former Benfica player: "What was offered to Jose was, in my view, quite significant off the back of the contract he signed in October 2015.

 

"Six months later we were prepared to improve that contract and extend it. He has turned down the opportunity to increase his salary, and he's turned down the opportunity to get another permanent year on his contract."

 

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Massively overrated player. He's been a good player and good servant but nowhere near as good as everyone makes him out to be. He makes just as many mistakes as Yoshida. I won't wish him well but won't wish him bad either.

 

There will be a lot of posts like this, so let's nip the narrative at the bud, shall we?

 

Jose Fonte has been an absolute giant for us, one of our best players and a symbol of our progression. To step down from the Championship to League One and end up as a Euro 2016 winner and one of the best defenders in the Premier League, all at this club and in the space of seven years, is remarkable.

 

For the good of the team it looks like now is the time for him to go, but he deserves our respect and a great sendoff. Now, how about that replacement?

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I didn't realise (if it's true what Reed says) that they didn't just offer him a higher salary but also an extra year.

 

Where are you seeing that? Not in the Solent write up.

 

On another note, there are two problems this poses us in the transfer market. One is a new centre half, obviously, but we also need a line of succession for the captaincy. Van Dijk will take it when Fonte goes but he won't be around forever. Who else could realistically lead the team besides Davis, who may not be playing as much himself as time goes on?

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Where are you seeing that? Not in the Solent write up.

 

In the BBC quote above it says: ""Six months later we were prepared to improve that contract and extend it. He has turned down the opportunity to increase his salary, and he's turned down the opportunity to get another permanent year on his contract."

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Club has played this well again. Some/many fans will turn on Jose saying he just wants more money but he's stayed through thick and thin and has been a leader for the club. Didn't he say he wanted to finish his career here? The board want to cash in whilst he has value I reckon, and whilst that might be okay in some respects, it does nothing to add to team spirit or give fans heroes. Sad indictment. He should be here and get his testimonial. Things must be bad for him personally with his relationship with the club for him to want to go.

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Where are you seeing that? Not in the Solent write up.

 

On another note, there are two problems this poses us in the transfer market. One is a new centre half, obviously, but we also need a line of succession for the captaincy. Van Dijk will take it when Fonte goes but he won't be around forever. Who else could realistically lead the team besides Davis, who may not be playing as much himself as time goes on?

 

He Solent article has quotes from Reed saying Fonte was offered a pay rise and an extension.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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In the BBC quote above it says: ""Six months later we were prepared to improve that contract and extend it. He has turned down the opportunity to increase his salary, and he's turned down the opportunity to get another permanent year on his contract."

 

Right you are. I suppose there is either something else in the terms he didn't like or he really is determined to go. I suppose you don't fire your agent and bring in Jorge Mendes unless you want to run with the big boys.

 

He's been brilliant for us up to this season when none can deny his attitude has sucked.

 

I will have no ill feeling towards him, he's doing what's best for him and his family.

 

There's a lot more to come out about all this, but if his attitude has lacked then it hasn't shown much on the pitch. He's been off his best this season but still very good.

 

One thing we can safely guess is that he was unhappy at being dropped from the European games. That's not enough to want to leave but the fallout could have soured relations with the club.

Edited by DuncanRG
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In the BBC quote above it says: ""Six months later we were prepared to improve that contract and extend it. He has turned down the opportunity to increase his salary, and he's turned down the opportunity to get another permanent year on his contract."

 

 

More money and an extension = a new contract so don't know why Fonte is claiming otherwise.

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Massively overrated player. He's been a good player and good servant but nowhere near as good as everyone makes him out to be. He makes just as many mistakes as Yoshida. I won't wish him well but won't wish him bad either.

 

He's been with us since league one. He's a club legend. His goal and celebration at Brighton away was legendary. Don't be a knob

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There will be a lot of posts like this, so let's nip the narrative at the bud, shall we?

 

Jose Fonte has been an absolute giant for us, one of our best players and a symbol of our progression. To step down from the Championship to League One and end up as a Euro 2016 winner and one of the best defenders in the Premier League, all at this club and in the space of seven years, is remarkable.

 

For the good of the team it looks like now is the time for him to go, but he deserves our respect and a great sendoff. Now, how about that replacement?

 

Absolutley... He has been fantastic for us in his (almost) 300 games for the club.

Very sad that he wants to leave, but he will get a good send off from me..

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Club has played this well again. Some/many fans will turn on Jose saying he just wants more money but he's stayed through thick and thin and has been a leader for the club. Didn't he say he wanted to finish his career here? The board want to cash in whilst he has value I reckon, and whilst that might be okay in some respects, it does nothing to add to team spirit or give fans heroes. Sad indictment. He should be here and get his testimonial. Things must be bad for him personally with his relationship with the club for him to want to go.

You do get that HE asked to leave right? That isn't the club trying to cash in on him. He was offered a new contract FFS. It's him wanting to play else where. Also, I don't recall many "thin" moments since he's been here, so that is slightly off target too.

 

I don't want him to leave, but if he doesn't want to be here and has asked to leave, why not respect his wishes. Let's not make out that it is something it's not, eh?

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Fck it this is football. Greedy bstrrd not irreplaceable. Not one of these saps getting all emotional about being a great servant. They all go where the money is. He had no offers to go elsewhere but that is enough for some to praise his loyalty

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There will be a lot of posts like this, so let's nip the narrative at the bud, shall we?

 

Jose Fonte has been an absolute giant for us, one of our best players and a symbol of our progression. To step down from the Championship to League One and end up as a Euro 2016 winner and one of the best defenders in the Premier League, all at this club and in the space of seven years, is remarkable.

 

For the good of the team it looks like now is the time for him to go, but he deserves our respect and a great sendoff. Now, how about that replacement?

 

Well said - Jose Fonte has been a legend of this club, he stayed and fought through the real bad times and got us back to the top.. don't anyone forget that and spoil his memory with "well if he wants to go, let him etc etc". There is obviously something going on at the club between players, coaches and manager. That is what needs sorting, but not by having a go at a legend. Sorry to see you go Jose but thank you for bringing us good times.

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I can't understand why he was allowed to miss all of pre season and consequently the first few matches of the new season. Seems he thinks he's a bit of a special case. That said I would have done whatever it takes to keep him happy until the end of the season and then let him go. Yoshida as first choice is a recipe for disaster!

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When you open the gates.....

 

Seems like all these rumors might have something going for them otherwise the captain of a team doesnt hand in a transfer request in the winter transfer window, otherwise he would have put one in last summer or next summer.

 

Exactly. The club said they offered him a longer contract, Fonte was adamant that they didn't. Basically comes down to who to believe. If things are going well, those among your best players who've been here whilst plenty of others have left don't hand in transfer requests midway trough the season.

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He seems to have become too big for his boots since winning the euro's

 

Obviously though winning the euro's/a national trophy is a career achievement. He's gone down in history as a key ingredient in a national win, he's obviously wanting champions league football and a possibly title shot/fa cup/league cup before his career ends. Can't say I blame him. I'd be fuming if I was club captain, was at the club this long and was getting rotated . Especially after just winning the euro's, in his own mind he's at the peak of his career having not been in the mix at all for Portugal until very recent.

 

We can't forget him and Ronaldo were together as youngsters, it was a fairytale for Fonte to come back and end up winning with Portugal and Ronaldo after playing in league one for us not that long ago

 

End of the day he's been great for us and was a legend on the journey from league one.

 

Its possible he'll go to China if Man U don't come in for him considering he's at the back end of his career

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We offered a pay rise and an extension, not a new contract. Both club and Fonte versions of the truth can be correct.

 

He wouldn't have put in a transfer request without knowing that someone was going to put a bid in. Whether that bid will be enough for us is another matter. If not he'll just have to knuckle down and get on with it, as he has in fairness up to now.

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He seems to have become too big for his boots since winning the euro's

 

Obviously though winning the euro's/a national trophy is a career achievement. He's gone down in history as a key ingredient in a national win, he's obviously wanting champions league football and a possibly title shot/fa cup/league cup before his career ends. Can't say I blame him. I'd be fuming if I was club captain, was at the club this long and was getting rotated . Especially after just winning the euro's, in his own mind he's at the peak of his career having not been in the mix at all for Portugal until very recent.

 

We can't forget him and Ronaldo were together as youngsters, it was a fairytale for Fonte to come back and end up winning with Portugal and Ronaldo after playing in league one for us not that long ago

 

End of the day he's been great for us and was a legend on the journey from league one.

 

Its possible he'll go to China if Man U don't come in for him considering he's at the back end of his career

 

We've also been very good for and to him.

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Fck it this is football. Greedy bstrrd not irreplaceable. Not one of these saps getting all emotional about being a great servant. They all go where the money is. He had no offers to go elsewhere but that is enough for some to praise his loyalty

 

He's Portuguese mate. If you played in Portugal for a while would you see it as an eternal home? At the end of the day it's a career. It's like any other job. If he doesn't feel loved anymore, and feels like he's been messed about, then we have to accept he will want out

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If Fonte wants a PR war with the club he'll lose it - the club are well drilled in making departing players (and managers) look like to**ers, whether they have been acting like one or not.

 

Suspect we'll never really know the whole truth or who to believe on this one. Either way, a sad end to his Saints career that has been a fantastic one that symbolized what we have been all about.

 

I just look at Lambert and how he left, respected and still a bit of a hero, and compare it to this situation. If this was all happening in private and Fonte ended up going to Benfica to finish his career, I think we'd in the main be happy enough for him and wish him well.

 

As it is, this all leaves a sour taste for me

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Well said - Jose Fonte has been a legend of this club, he stayed and fought through the real bad times and got us back to the top.. don't anyone forget that and spoil his memory with "well if he wants to go, let him etc etc". There is obviously something going on at the club between players, coaches and manager. That is what needs sorting, but not by having a go at a legend. Sorry to see you go Jose but thank you for bringing us good times.

 

What real bad times were they?

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@adamleitchsport: Myself and @bigadamsport sat down with Les Reed at Staplewood this morning. Long chat. Lots more interesting stuff to come tomorrow

 

Frustrating how they do this, rather than just release the news all together, I know why they do it, but hugely annoying for the fans.

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Gutted. Clearly out his heart and soul into the club while he has been here, always led from the front and stepped up when required.

I don't care why he is dong it, this is a massive loss for the club. ESPECIALLY when we are halfway through the season with in incompetent manager.

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