Wednesday 7 December 2016 17:22, UK
Jose Fonte has denied claims he has turned down a contract offer from Southampton and revealed he will not be offered new terms.
The Saints skipper, who helped Portugal win Euro 2016 in the summer, has 18 months left on his contract but his future has been the subject of recent speculation.
Fonte revealed earlier this week that he had been offered a pay rise after his exploits in France over the summer but said the club were not willing to extend the length of his contract and he took to social media on Tuesday to suggest there will be no offer from Southampton in the future.
"Just to set the record straight I did not reject a new contract," he said on his Instagram page. "In fact I have been informed by Southampton that they are not offering me a new contract.
"My focus is on Thursday [against Hapoel Be'er Sheva in the Europa League] helping us win the game."
Earlier this week Fonte, who will turn 33 later this month, said he had rejected a pay rise in the summer.
"There's no contract on the table. There was in the summer, they offered me a pay rise. They didn't offer me a new contract," he said.
"They offered me a pay rise which I'm entitled to discuss with my agent and entitled to say no to as well. I'm entitled to have my own opinion, so apart from that that's it."
Fonte had also said he was disappointed at missing every one of Southampton's Europa League fixtures so far this season due to manager Claude Puel's policy of rotating his squad.
"Of course I'm disappointed. I want to play every game. I'm fit to play every game. I'm always on the dance floor - I'm always fit. I worked really hard last year to play Europa League," he said.
"I have to accept the decision from the manager and be ready when I am called to play. If I'm called to play Europa League, I will be there, as simple as that.
"It is frustrating, but it's football. Like the manager said, he wants people to be 100 per cent fit for every game. You have to accept the decision and move on."
