Jose Fonte is set to move to London and join West Ham United with rumours circulating that he will complete a medical and formalities today.

The Jose Fonte saga is set to reach its sad ending today with the Portugese defender joining West Ham almost exactly to the day seven years ago that he made his Saints debut in a 1-1 draw at Millwall in League One.

Back then we were in our lowest league position in half a century and Fonte played a major part in our rise back up through the leagues, one of his earliest games for Saints was at Wembley in the JPT final and it should have been a fitting twilight to his career that he returned to Wembley again in the League Cup, sadly Saints chances of doing that have diminished due to the situation that has arose since his return from the Euro Championships in the summer.

Something had changed in the player on his return, perhaps this was mainly due to the influence of his new agent Jorge Mendes, the super agent who also represents Jose Mourinho, immediately rumours appeared in the press about Fonte going to Old Trafford, make of that what you will, but it's fairly obvious that these were not started by Southampton Football Club.

Agents make the big part of their money from transferring their clients, the writing was on the wall once Fonte changed agents.

The saddest thing though is that Fonte was on his way into being a club legend, the word should not be bandied about lightly and in modern times it is used less and less with players moving clubs so often that nowadays they rarely stay at one club more than a couple of seasons.

But after 7 years, 260 league appearances and 288 in total with 15 goals, not to mention the success we have enjoyed during that time, on his retirement which we all assumed would be at St Mary's with a testimonial, Fonte should have been acclaimed as a club legend.

That will now not happen and he will leave with the Saints support having a bad taste in it's mouth about the whole situation.

Publicly he has not been too bad, there have been none of the public shows of desperation for a move that Dejan Lovren or Adam Lallana showed, but behind the scenes the story seems to be not so smooth.

Up until Xmas the club seemed to be handling Fonte with kid gloves, perhaps in the hope that he might decide to sign a new deal and stay, but after Fonte went public and told the media that the club hadn't offered him a new deal and in some respects almost accused them of lying things changed between player and club.

What angered Saints most wasn't his words but the timing of them, they came only a couple of days before the team were due to play Happoel Be'er Sheva in what was a do or die match, the club felt that this was deliberately timed to unsettle the squad and certainly there were those in the dressing room who felt that.

From that point on a line had been crossed and there was perhaps no return, there now seemed to clearly be a rift between not only Fonte and the club, but with the player and manager, Claude Puel did not seem to have faith in his Captain to do a professional job for Saints whilst speculation was rife and the window opened, however it should be noted that he had no such reservations back in August when Fonte although on the bench for the opening Premier League game was in the starting line up for the remaining two games until the transfer window shut.

Like any disagreement there are always two sides to a story and I have spoken to those who perhaps feel Fonte is not entirely to blame and those who think he is, in any situation there are as i say always two sides and usually the truth is somewhere in between.

I will say though that Jose Fonte was linked to Manchester United before he had even kicked a ball for Saints, this was the original cause of the rift and without the media leaks and subsequent speculation this story might have had a happier ending at least for Saints fans.

The reality though is that this could actually be a good deal for the club if they can replace Fonte with a quality defender, the transfer fee seems to be £8 million up front with a further £2 million in add ons based on appearances etc, that for a 33 year old is good money, but only as long as we get in a quality replacement.

From this point Saints seem to have a knack of finding quality in the centre of defence, so you would hope that this can continue.

But the saddest thing is that it is ending this way, Jose Fonte has been a brilliant servant to Southampton Football Club and in return we have turned him from a run of the mill player at Crystal Palace where at 26 he was steady but not exactly making headlines hence that we were able to get him for £800k, a bargain it now transpires and sell him for 10 times that.

This has been a mutually beneficial relationship,and although his name will not bring the vitriol that some of our ex players do to Saints fans lips, it has sullied his memory and he will not be as beloved as some of our legends.

Fonte should be considered one of those legends, certainly the track record and requirements are in place, but the last six months mean that it cannot be in the eyes of many.

Photo: Action Images

LordDZLucan added 10:48 - Jan 20 So Jose is throwing away the one thing in life that you can’t buy, and that is the respect that he has from the fans, for a sideways move to a club that is, if anything, in more disarray than we are. He had achieved legendary status at Saints for his commitment to the cause over the years and he throws that away for what, a couple of extra groats at a fellow struggler. And the club has done the one thing that you don’t do in football and that is to sell a player to a direct competitor. West Ham in terms of position in the league and revenue are side by side with Southampton. Almost justifiable you might say if the fee is so big that you can buy the Rolls Royce of replacements. But it is only £8m which doesn’t even buy you a decent defender from the Championship these days. You couldn’t make it up. Les Reed will tell us to put our faith in the board because they know what they’re doing. Sorry, but I think the board has lost the plot. The board, the players and the fans are now pulling in 3 different directions – the board is looking to make money and ultimately sell the club on, the players are focussed on their own bank balances with only we, the fans, prioritising the short-term success the team. The interests of the key stakeholders do not appear to be aligned and in business when that happens it often all ends in tears. Tell me why I shouldn’t go and watch Eastleigh instead if nothing else to get back to a bit of honesty.

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highfield49 added 10:50 - Jan 20 I can only presume that he became a bad influence in the dressing room for whatever reason.Perhaps his ego couldn't handle VVD taking over his role? Interesting to see that Everton are getting themselves into similar territory with Jagielka being told that he can leave if he wishes. Just goes to show, once again, that no player is bigger than the club?
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SanMarco added 11:07 - Jan 20 I think the article's narrative of 'too big for his boots Fonte' is more supposition than actual hard fact. We don't know the cause and effect of all this. His not getting on with Puel may be the biggest factor. Going to Wet Spam is hardly 'vaulting ambition o'erleaping itself'
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RogerToye added 11:09 - Jan 20 IMO Fonte wants to leave because everyone he grew with from div 1 has basically gone on, part and parcel on wholesale changes we have seen in the past few years.. we have to build for a future as the game as changed some loyalities longer than others, and he has been here 7 years. Euro's was his pinnacle and he got there on the back of Southampton, He came back from there with his name on MAN U lips etc, Head turned maybe with agent promises. time to let him go to west Ham he will soon find whether it is the best move for him meanwhile we get good money for a 33 year old who when i look at some of his recent performances and always felt he was most likely to produce penalty give away's. not a legend but a good servant relatively quiet in his manner of going.

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Sanguin added 11:10 - Jan 20 I couldn’t agree more, he should’ve smashed 300 games for the club and got a testimonial. Given his rise and service to the club, I don’t think fans would’ve begrudged him a move to a top side challenging for honours or playing in the Champions League, but his sideways move to West Ham makes the departure even more bitter. I am certain that we don’t know the full story here, there must be more than disagreement on the length and salary on a contract. Perhaps this will be better for Southampton since this must be having some impact on the rest of the team. If we can shift Fonte for £8m and get Sakho on reasonable wages for £18-20m then I’ll be happy.

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law101 added 11:30 - Jan 20 Don't expect us to sign a replacement this window. I can maybe see a loan as a stop-gap, however I believe we will look to secure a mid table finish and buy 'one from the black box' in June. BIG game Sunday, lose in front of our of our home support again and I feel lt could be the beginning of the end for Puel and our season. Leicester are awful away and do not have a good defensive record. So no excuses.

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JGH added 11:36 - Jan 20 Good article. Been a fantastic servant and just sad to see that sullied slightly by his actions over the last few months. Still can't help but think that when he began his agitating for a move he didn't have the likes of West Ham in mind! Stay and sign Jose - all will be forgiven!
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BathSaint added 11:37 - Jan 20 All I know is that I wish him luck, suspect the club is far more at fault for this odd situation than it seems and lastly wish this had not happened as he clearly has 2-3 years left in him as a top CB and is the last symbol left of our amazing journey from league one to europa league! It certainly is both a sad and confusing situation. Considering he is not rumoured to be getting any more money than he was offered here (indeed he may actually be taking a lower contract just to leave), and that he stayed and steadied the ship while the past seasons mass exoduses occurred around him, then I must assume something has gone wrong between him and the club behind the scenes. For me I do not buy the story that he has got too big for his boots - he has agreed terms with both west brom and west ham -suggesting he is so unhappy here he would take almost any move. Maybe it was being left out of all the europa league games, maybe he was promised something that was withdrawn, or maybe the club actively tried to unsettle him so they could sell him on for a quick profit before he retired?

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steve73 added 11:57 - Jan 20 Things really do feel like they're starting to unravel now, and pretty quickly too. So disappointed about this. I'm very much doubting the existence of a 'masterplan' anymore unless it's sell high, buy low and hope. Up until recently it was working but for how much longer? Even fans with the blindest of faith couldn't condone not signing an immediate replacement, surely? If, as the article suggests, Fonte has been unhappy for such a long time then it means we've had ample time to identify and begin negotiating with his successor so there should be a seamless transition. But really I don't think that's what will actually happen. I know any kind of negativity is frowned on by many and the strength of your 'support' gets called into question but I really think we're drifting into danger here. 2 key signings this window are essential and the nature of the signings, if they happen, will tell us a lot about how the club is, and will be, run.

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mattlegod added 12:08 - Jan 20 I don't get it... hardly a step up or arguably a sideways step and I can't imagine it's going to be a huge pay day either. I think this is a clear case of player thinking he's bigger than the club and thankfully that didn't transpire. I thank Jose for 6 good years and do wish him well because of that, but can't help thinking it's been tainted because he let himself get misled by some terrible agent advice.

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dixiefrog added 12:23 - Jan 20 I've never seen so much flagellation from the Saints fans, Jose is, was and always will be just like any other modern day footballer, he'll play for any club which offers the biggest wage packet. Good player yes, legend no....time we all moved on.
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SaintNick added 12:31 - Jan 20 San Marco. At no time did the article suggested that he was getting too big for his boots, yes it said he wanted more money than he could get here, but it didnt suggest that he was swanning round too big for his boots, that is your supposition not mine
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bstokesaint added 12:34 - Jan 20 I don't think it's taking too wild a guess to presume Fonte came back from the Euros with a slightly self-inflated ego and knowing Southampton's transfer policy felt slightly miffed when his agent suggested a move to Man United was a possiblity. Whether this was the case or not (I actually seriously doubt it) I imagine he felt aggrieved to the point that when turned down he kicked off and thought other big clubs would rush in for him when he expressed interest in leaving. I do not for one minute believe he is happy with a choice of West Ham or West Brom, but I'm guessing doesn't want to swallow his pride and admit as much. I'd like to seem him backtrack and accept an improved offer, but I would think that ship has sailed. What a disappointing end to such a great career with Saints. He has been a really good servant for the club and I will remember fondly watching his play his debut at Millwall. It was a pretty poor game (at an awful ground), but it was clear that day that we had bought a talent. Cheers Jose.

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schatfield added 13:34 - Jan 20 I get the feeling we wont replace him either - it will be Jack Stephens or Mr broken Gardos....I think Jack will come good in time but this might be a bit early for him. I would have loved it if we got the french geezer from the scousers, but doesnt sound like we will now.
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Alehouse added 13:41 - Jan 20 The suggestions that this is primarily down to Fonte's agent and the linked suggestion that Fonte thinks he's bigger than the club are no more than speculation. Like SanMarco I think that a more plausible explanation is that Fonte doesn't get on with Puel. We do know that Fonte was unhappy about being excluded from the Europa cup games and West Ham can hardly be considered as a big step up for a player who thinks he is too good for Saints.

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BoondockSaint added 13:52 - Jan 20 He was the heart and soul of the team climbing out of the lower leagues. Agree with RogerToye that since all his mates were sold off he reckoned might as well go too as the team is going nowhere. Another example of the pettiness of Les and Puel- instead of making a deal with a big name team, they spitefully banish him to a crap team. Funny h ow they didn't do this with Lovern or Lallana! If the Scouse had made a bid, Les would have jumped at it. Maybe he will just retire, or maybe West Ham is going to turn around and sell him on to a big club. Shame really, yes players are greedy and who knows what we would do if we were them, but the buffoons in charge could have handled this better.

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vanmans added 14:05 - Jan 20 Good news from Ladbrokes today Southampton boss Claude Puel is closing in on leaders in Premier League Sack Race 13/2.
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LordDZLucan added 14:23 - Jan 20 Players out - Mane, Wanyama, Pelle, Fonte Players in - Hojbjerg, Redmond, Boufal Hmmm. It's pretty clear to me that Puel's not to blame here.
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law101 added 14:58 - Jan 20 The reason Fonte is off is not because he was excluded from the European games. This all started well before then, he was omitted from the EL because he had obviously made it clear he wanted a transfer. If the club had been more transparent to begin with it would have saved all the carry on we have had to put up with since September.
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law101 added 15:03 - Jan 20 LordDZLucan.... when you summarise like that it does become laughable. The spine of our team, our best 4 players. If you add Van Dijk to the list in the summer it will give the impression that Les Reed is a Portsmouth fan.
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dixiefrog added 15:12 - Jan 20 Jose you have a right to leave but at least tell us why. For us fans, whats even more painful than being abandoned, is knowing you're not worth an explanation.
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LordDZLucan added 15:14 - Jan 20 One thought, law 101. Maybe if the club had been able to persuade Fonte to stay then it would have been van Dijk on his way in January instead and we would have been in even more of a mess. Maybe Fonte's done us a favour...................until Van Dijk goes in the summer.
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SanMarco added 16:13 - Jan 20 Nick - yes fair enough - the article was more balanced than that. One of the main narratives about all this though is that he has got above himself and that is hinted at in the paragraphs about the agent. I stick with my theory that this might be more about Puel though..
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A1079 added 16:14 - Jan 20 I have no idea of course who is to blame for this apparent impasse and it is probably a mixture of influences. I accept that any footballer at this level will have earned good money and in that respect, any sense of injustice etc that the player may feel needs to be taken into account. But, stripping away the micro-politics etc, I am sorry to see Fonte leave in this fashion, assuming he now will, it would have been great to have seen him see through his remaining time with us. I hope he gets the recognition and that there is respect from all parties and no silliness by the club to rubbish his name. I hope he will be welcomed back if he does leave, and I do believe Fonte has potential management acumen, so lets not shoot ourselves in the foot. I don't know whether it is too late or how it could be done, but it would be nice if we the fans could make it known to him how we would like him to remain. It is hard to believe that he will go to a club no better or in no better situation to us and I thought once Reed said that he would only sell good players to a top 4 side and not a rival. Whatever the ifs and buts and maybe's, it is disappointing that whether Fonte or someone else all we ever hear is about good players going and no one of any significance joining, be it now or the summer.

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ronniedavies added 16:43 - Jan 20 Should make For an interesting afternoon at SMS in a couple of weeks time with Fonte marking VVD at dead ball situations. Wonder what kind or reception he'll get?
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