Ex Southampton Defender In Talks With Sunderland
Thursday, 9th Jul 2026 10:08
When they read who Sunderland are said to be in talks with, some Saints supporters will be asking, Why aren't we going for him ? Find out more here.
Reports from the North East claim that former Southampton defender Jose Fonte has been in talks with Premier League Sunderland, not as a player but as a coach.
The Sunderland Echo is saying that the former Southampton, West Ham and Crystal Palace defender is being mooted for a job in Régis Le Bris’ coaching staff.
The paper says that it understands "discussions are ongoing for Fonte to join Sunderland’s first-team set-up, with talks progressing, though nothing has been finalised at this stage."
Fonte is understood to be ready to begin the next stage of his career in coaching and that will lead to many Southampton fans to ask why Saints themselves are not speaking to Fonte.
Indeed when the Portugese defender signed a new 4 year deal at St Mary's in the autumn of 2015, he spoke of how he hoped that he would not only see out this contract but go on to join the coaching set up at St Mary's.
However within less than a year his stance had changed and with a new agent and returning from the 2016 Euros he suddenly didn't want to be at St Mary's anymore
He left in the January of 2017, not to join Manchester United as his agent had been trying to sort, but West Ham United, it all left a sour taste in the mouth and given that Saints were at that time in a League Cup semi final, you felt that it wasn't about glory it was about money.
But that was 10 years ago and things have moved on at St Mary's, none of those running the club on a day to day basis are still there now, so there is no reason why Fonte should not be considered for a coaching role, certainly the fans would not be upset.
However in football sometimes the last thing a manager needs is a club legend as a player on the coaching staff, he is always the first name mentioned to replace you when the going gets tough.
Southampton FC has seen that happen before, when Lawrie McMenemy took over Terry Paine was a big influence in the dressing room and touted as a coach and future manager, McMenemy knew that was not good and got rid of him.
Likewise Jimmy Case in 1991 when Ian Branfoot arrived at the club, Case's managerial ambitions were well known and Branfoot wasted no time in letting him go on a free transfer.
So perhaps that is why Jose Fonte is not being considered at St Mary's, Tonda Eckert is his own man and is looking forward and not backwards, or it could be that Fonte's agent is leaking Sunderland's interest to the media, to attract the attention of the likes of Saints.
All Photos Via Reuters
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