Reports in Portugal are saying that Jose Fonte has four offers on the table, three from Portugal and one from England and the speculation is that it is Saints who are the club who have offered a deal.

Sportwitness are reporting that Portuguese newspaper O Jogo are claiming that Jose Fonte is assessing his options and one of them could well be a return to his former club Southampton.

Fonte who spent 7 years at St Mary's before departing under a cloud for West Ham United in January 2017, is firstly deciding whether he will play for one more year, a season that would see him hit his 41sr birthday.

They state that the club urging him to continue playing is Estoril, a short trip down the coast from Lisbon, whereas the other 3 offers are more unclear, whether they are a playing role, coaching or a hybrid of both.

O Jogo point out that with Southampton back in the Premier League, they ‘might want to offer some kind of role’ to ‘one of their recent legends’. It’s just not clarified whether that would be now or after a last season with him in the squad.

It is interesting to note that on Saints social media sites, despite leaving St Mary's under a cloud after suddenly deciding that he wanted a move to a bigger club in the summer of 2016, only 7 months after signing a long term deal and eventually forcing a move to West Ham, Fonte seems to be held in higher regard than Adam Lallana, another Saints legend who moved on with equal indecent haste,

I would be very surprised if this was a playing contract on the table, at 40 that would be a big gamble in the Premier League, last season at Braga, Fonte was very much a bit part player, starting just 16 games plus another 3 as sub, in the final third of the season he was mostly an unused sub on the bench.

However in 2022/23 he was still a regular starter at Lille.

The big question of what offer Southampton would make is open to debate, but I would suspect it would be a coaching role of some sort and it would be interesting if to see if he could still do a job off the bench.

Photo: Action Images

felly1 added 16:50 - Jun 7 Honestly does anyone think we'll be signing a 40 year who barely played for a small Portuguese club or even as a coach... Nonsense stuff.
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Bowlercow added 17:38 - Jun 7 He was forced out by VvD who wanted the armband. The chances of a return as a PL player Nil Does he have any coaching badges? Could he play as an overage player with the youngsters ?
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Centurion added 18:55 - Jun 7 I can't see it happening.
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WestSussexSaint added 18:58 - Jun 7 How many other ex Saints are we going to be linked with this summer? Why not offer a contract to Sir Ricky, Le Tiss, and Franny. Fonte gives one interview with BBC Solent and the lazy journos out there are putting 2+2 = 5. I don’t have any issue with Fonte, he did well for us through the football league promotions and the PL. It was telling when his various defensive partners over those years were the ones signed by bigger clubs and sank without a trace whereas Saints continued to be pretty decent with Fonte. Winning the Euros with Portugal increased his profile and his agent profiteered of the back of it. They found West Ham in one of their sign any player at any cost moods and the rest is history.

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Jesus_02 added 19:04 - Jun 7 Next "Former Saints Striker Ricky Lambert to Make and Incredible Return"
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saint_ben added 02:04 - Jun 8 To even publish a story like this is absolutely ridiculous. Never going to happen. Come on!!
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Farlow added 11:27 - Jun 8 He certainly knows how to organise a defence,so maybe it would be in a coaching capacity.
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Colburn added 17:15 - Jun 8 This is probably the most stupid story I’ve read. I hear we’re linked with returns for Mark Wight and Claus Lundekvam.. Bit sick of seeing headlines about every tosser that’s dumped us and then when nobody else wants them, we’re supposed to take them back and forget about our own future? Sounds like an abusive relationship.. they can all sod off and stay that way. JWP included. Walcott mugged us off for thousands a week for little return, why do people even half think we’re some kind of charity.? Please let’s use some brain matter with who we sign.. Onwards and upwards, not backwards and down. Fonte… do me a favour..

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