Mateus Fernandes took a deep dive on his Southampton transfer and revealed that former Saints centre-back Jose Fonte played a crucial role in his arrival.
During last week, Southampton broke their tight lipped silence on Mateus Fernandes in the wake of his growing departure speculations. One, which made Southampton fans admire the board's new project more than ever.
And, should Johannes Spors and the decision making management succeed in retaining Mateus for the coming season, the St. Mary's could even start singing chants for them. Well, not in a comical sense but rather as a satisfactory round of applause.
Now, that sense of fan backing is a thing for the future, but the Saints shouldn't forget to thank Jose Fonte, too. Southampton's iconic captain and fan favourite leader, who gave a helping hand to the current midfield by convincing Mateus to join in the first place.
Saints must give credit to Jose Fonte for securing Mateus Fernandes
As quoted by Southampton's official website, Mateus took a deep dive during his transfer and mentioned Fonte, saying: "He told me many good things about the fans, about the city, the club. The training ground is amazing, much better than Sporting; the fans, everything around the club is amazing, so it's a big club."
A few months ago, former midfielder Pierre Emile-Hojbjerg also played a key role in Albert Gronbaek's loan transfer. Yes, it didn't work out but it truly feels heartwarming, to say the least, while watching previous club heroes still trying their level best to assist Southampton.
Due to these classy gestures, Southampton fans are always on the lookout for welcoming more legends back to the club. A few familiar faces are tipped to return to St. Mary's this time around, too, but how many and who remains the biggest question marks.