Crystal Palace had a nightmare with Fonte

When Jose Fonte left Crystal Palace for Southampton in 2010, few Eagles followers would have predicted that the centre-back would nonetheless be taking part in on the prime degree 12 years later.

Fonte joined Palace from Sporting Lisbon in 2007 and was an everyday throughout his time at Selhurst Park, making 92 appearances, during which he contributed six objectives and 7 assists.

Nonetheless, he was offered to Southampton, who had been in League One on the time, in a deal value simply £1.2m in 2010, a transfer which actually helped the Portugal worldwide propel his profession in direction of the highest.

He would assist the Saints to 2 successive promotions with the intention to attain the Premier League, the place they’ve remained ever since, with Fonte an everyday at St Mary’s till his exit seven years later.

The centre-back would make 288 appearances for Southampton in complete, contributing 15 objectives and 9 assists, and he’ll undoubtedly be fondly remembered by Saints followers.

Ought to Palace have saved Fonte?

In 2017, he joined West Ham and endured a much less profitable time with the Hammers, making simply 24 appearances earlier than he was offered to Chinese language Tremendous League aspect Dalian Skilled the next yr.

Whereas he struggled for kind throughout his time on the London membership, teammate Darren Randolph was stuffed with reward for his impression in coaching, saying:

“It’s only going so as to add to the standard that now we have and to the squad as effectively. I’ve already seen in coaching that he’s a frontrunner. He’s loud and vocal and organises effectively. It needs to be a very good addition.”

His time in China was not more than a dalliance and in 2018 he would make the transfer to Lille, the place he has gone on to make 172 appearances, scoring eight objectives and contributing 5 assists throughout arguably essentially the most profitable spell of his profession.

Certainly, the £28k-per-week brute performed a key function in Lille’s outstanding title-winning season in 2021, making 36 appearances within the French top-flight as they toppled PSG with the intention to declare prime spot.

Even now, aged 38, Fonte stays an everyday in Lille’s first group and has made nine appearances thus far this season in Ligue 1.

Whereas it’s unattainable to say if he would have reached the identical degree had he remained with Palace, his spectacular profession since leaving means that they made a reasonably large mistake in promoting him for simply £1.2m in 2010.