West Ham fans react to idea of Fonte

Many West Ham fans took to social media in order to shoot down the idea that Jose Fonte was worth signing on a free after his Dalian Yifang contract was ripped up.

Sky Sports’ Live Transfer Blog (Monday, 18:47) stated that the 34-year-old defender was keen on a move back to the Premier League after seeing his contract with Chinese side Dalian Yifang ripped up despite only joining them in January.

Fonte left the Hammers to join Dalian Yifang and several Hammers fans tweeted that they wouldn’t take him back after one supporter claimed they would be keen for the club to recruit him.

Forever West Ham has rounded up several tweets by Hammers fans about the idea that the club could even contemplate moving for Fonte:

Stop it. Just move on. Oggy, Diop, Balbuena, Rice and Ox. Enough.

— Kid Fairley (@KidFairley) July 15, 2018

https://twitter.com/Roger_J_coyi/status/1018907357877764098

Leave it out

— Tom Donovan (@TomDonno) July 15, 2018

https://twitter.com/DavidHu54131696/status/1018749467221200896

Fonte is well past his best now. Zero pace and unreliable. Move on.

— Dalton27 (@JPH_WHU27) July 15, 2018

Oh dear lol

— 🫧⚒ Dunc9 ⚒🫧 (@WHU99) July 16, 2018

No, far too slow now. Would rather have Collins if we are going that old.

— Tom Pearson (@TomPearson8) July 16, 2018

He’s a great guy but well past his prime. No need to sign another center back.

— Will S (@ws__110) July 15, 2018

https://twitter.com/larryberyl/status/1018595019048054784

OPINION

Fonte played 24 times for the Hammers during his spell with them and the club don’t need him to return to make any further appearances. The experienced defender may have featured for Portugal at the World Cup this summer but after failing to deliver the goods in China, it’s clear he wouldn’t cope with the demands of the Premier League. Lots of Hammers fans suggested that he was far too old and too slow to do well in England’s top-flight once again and it’s hard to argue with that view. The ex-West Ham ace will be luckily if an English side takes a chance on him but perhaps after seeing him somehow feature for Portugal in Russia then maybe someone in the Championship will take a gamble on the veteran defender. After this latest reported development in Fonte’s career it will be interesting to see where he ends up but hopefully it isn’t the London Stadium.