Fonte’s future has been the subject of speculation.
Southampton captain Jose Fonte has denied any knowledge of a new contract offer in the summer, the Daily Echo reports.
The Portuguese defender has admitted there was an offer of a pay rise amid speculation that other Premier League clubs – notably Everton and Manchester United – had expressed an interest in him.
Fonte is quoted in the Daily Echo, saying: “There’s no contract on the table.
“It is what it is, there’s nothing on the table that I didn’t sign. There was nothing there, to be honest. There was in the summer, they offered me a pay rise. They didn’t offer me a new contract.
“They offered me a pay rise which I’m entitled to discuss with my agent and entitled to say no to as well. I’m entitled to have my own opinion, so apart from that that’s it.”
It is an interesting development when it comes to the 32-year-old’s future, and it is unlikely to dampen speculation over a potential move going forward.
But it does suggest that money is not an issue for the player, which is admirable given the vast amount of cash that is in the English game today.
One does wonder what his stance would have been if a new contract had been presented to him along with a pay rise. It can seem a little strange from the outside looking in that a pay rise was on the table rather than a contract extension, when surely if Southampton wanted to keep hold of the player then they would have offered Fonte a new contract.
As it stands, his current deal has just over 18 months left to run, so this could well be one of the stories to watch during the January transfer window.
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