Former Lille centre-back José Fonte to sign for Braga | OneFootball

Lille OSC’s long-serving skipper José Fonte (39) won’t be extending his stay in Northern France and is set to sign for Braga, according to a report this Sunday from L’Équipe. The 39-year-old’s contract with Les Dogues expired last month. The French publication understand that the Portuguese centre-back could put pen to paper on a contract with Braga as early as Monday. The 39-year-old played 33 games in all competitions with Lille this past campaign.

Lille CEO Olivier Létang revealed on Friday that Fonte would no longer be the undisputed starting centre-back from next season onwards. “With Paulo [Fonseca, the head coach], we opted for a number one centre-back. I’ve considered that José could not be that player, with all due respect and hindsight.” Lille are reportedly in the race to sign former Wolves defender and Morocco international Romain Saïss. Létang adds that Lille OSC would be paying tribute to their skipper, who joined Lille in 2018. The Euro 2016 winner with Portugal was the captain of the Ligue 1 title-winning squad of 2021.

GFFN | Bastien Cheval