It is being reported in certain media outlets (the Daily Record and the Daily Star so at the time of writing a pinch of salt might be required!!) that our Euro 2016 winner Jose Fonte is off to Chine in a deal worth approximately £5mil.
My initial response to this was one of disbelief, shock and a small amount of anger. However, the more I thought about it the more I realised this has been coming for some time.
Jose Fonte joined us from Southampton in January 2017 for a reported £8mil on a 2 and a half year deal. His West Ham career hardly started fantastically but to be fair he was dumped into an under performing team under the guidance of a struggling (and now unemployed!) manager.
I always considered him a good signing. Yes, £8mil for a 33 year old could be considered a lot of money but in todays market it’s about right. He’d just won the Euro’s with Portugal. He was one half of a solid central defensive partnership at Southampton (the other half being Dick van Dyke’s alter-ego). He was a Leader.
But the writing was on the wall the moment our beloved Chairman, Owner, Director of Football and Press Secretary David Sullivan opened his big gob. Announcing to a National newspaper that his family begged him not to sign Fonte was up there with the worst PR in history. Fonte’s position became almost untenable overnight.
Sadly this was at a time when he was injured. His injury arrived right at the time he was playing his best football for West Ham (isn’t that always the way?!?!). There he is, working hard with the medical team to get back to fitness and then he reads that – if I was him I would have spoken with my Agent immediately and told him to find me a new Club ASAP.
To get £5mil for him isn’t too bad with only 18 months left on his contract. And he is now 34!! I am firmly of the belief that he can still play at the top level and that had Sullivan not been a complete dick in that interview Jose would be back in our starting 11 quite soon. In the back 3 he was superb before his injury. But with Evra now on board and with Collins, Ogbonna, Reid and Rice we are well covered at the back. Not to mention Zaba, Cress and Cheik who can also fill into a back 3!
Sadly I think this is a good move for all parties. Fonte will make a small fortune in China, we will lose a large wage off the bill and receive a decent fee in the process.
Jose, thank you for your efforts. On behalf of all West Ham fans everywhere I apologise for our Chairman. It appears you will soon be free of him. Sadly, we will not!!!!