It’s Arsenal vs Man United for Jose Fonte – report
Manchester United and Arsenal have both made approaches to Southampton central defender Jose Fonte, according to reports.
United’s interest in Fonte has been mooted for a while, with Jose Mourinho keen to add an experienced central defender to his back line.
Mourinho already has Chris Smalling, Eric Bailly, Daley Blind, Marcos Rojo and Phil Jones as central defensive options, and is prepared to include Rojo as a makeweight in any deal for Fonte.
According to ESPN, Fonte has also received an offer from Arsenal over a possible move, with Arsene Wenger running out of options.
With Per Mertesacker and Gabriel Paulista injured and Laurent Koscielny struggling for match fitness, Wenger is in desperate need of another centre-back. Arsenal’s manager is reportedly stalling over Shkodran Mustafi’s price, and may see Fonte as a cheaper option.
That said, ESPN report that Fonte would prefer a move to Manchester United, presumably because the mood at the club isn’t currently best represented by a video of a man kicking himself in the face.
Arsenal join Man United in race for Southampton's Jose Fonte – sources tell ESPN FC. https://t.co/kC5xppoYcq pic.twitter.com/gXZuxp06U5
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) August 16, 2016