Everton and Arsenal to miss out on Euro 2016 defensive ace - report

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Published on:

23 Aug 2016, 1:34 am

By Tom Blackburn

Everton and Arsenal target Jose Fonte will not be leaving Southampton this summer, according to a report.

The Mail claim Saints boss Carlos Puel has told the Portuguese defender that he won't be allowed to join one of his many suitors after he was offered a new two-year deal by the south coast club.

ESPN claimed last week that Fonte was keen to join Manchester United, and Arsenal had also made an approach for him as they look to address their centre-back crisis.

That report follows claims from the Sun that Everton had targeted a £9million move for Fonte as he eyed a replacement for England international John Stones, who joined Manchester City earlier this summer for £47.5million.

The Portuguese international has been a key figure for the Saints since joining the club in League One six years ago.

The defender took over the captaincy from Adam Lallana in 2014 and he had also signed a new contract with the club last October, which still has two years left to run.

He was a key part of the Portugal side that lifted the Euro 2016 trophy this summer, having formed a solid partnership with Pepe at the heart of defence.

Arsenal are without captain Per Mertesacker until the new year, while Brazilian defender Gabriel has been ruled out for two months.

Arsenal are monitoring Valencia's Shkodran Mustafi, Bayer Leverkusen's Omer Toprak and Fenerbahce's Simon Kjaer to fill their centre-back void.

The Toffees have already brought in Swansea captain Ashley Williams for a fee of around £12million but are in the market for another centre-back.

In other Everton transfer news, they are in talks to sign a £15million striker that Steve Walsh has been tracking.

Arsenal

Everton FC

Jose Fonte