When asked in today’s press conference about the speculation, Puel questioned the timing considering that his Saints go head to head with United on Friday night.
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Seeing the 32-year-old Fonte hold the Henri Delaunay trophy aloft following Portugal’s Euro 2016 triumph with a smile as big as the £70,000-a-week pay packet he has been offered to prolong his stay at Southampton was one of the feel-good stories of the sporting summer.
Puel said, via Sky Sports: “There is no problem with Jose [Fonte] but it is odd that this rumour comes up just before the game that he might go to United”.
“Jose is our captain and there is no problem with him”. That is why Saints fans are praying seeing Fonte emerge from the tunnel at Old Trafford will not be a sign of things to come. He is a very good professional.
Southampton could secure their third consecutive victory at Old Trafford on Friday night, after Charlie Austin scored the victor on his debut last season.
“It is a possibility it comes from United, it is unusual”.
And the former Nice manager will not take anything from those previous successes and will prepare his side for the task at hand on Friday evening.
“Their players have changed, their manager has changed and Southampton’s view of this team has changed”. For Fonte has epitomised everything good about Saints since Swiss businessman Markus Liebherr rescued them from the brink of oblivion seven years ago.
“Against Watford (in last week’s 1-1 draw) I didn’t like the first half because we didn’t play our game but the second half you can see another team and we improved and played our game”.
“Just Ryan Bertrand can not play this game”.
“Paul Pogba is another good player, but only 11 can play”.
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“I think he has also scored against other teams without any problems”, he said. “To play football is the most important for us”.
