Southampton manager Claude Puel has insisted that the decision to allow Jose Fonte to leave the club during the January transfer window was a mutually beneficial one.
The 33-year-old handed in a transfer request in order to push through a move to West Ham United last month, eventually joining the London club for £8m.
Fonte's exit looks particularly costly for Southampton after they also lost Virgil van Dijk to a long-term injury, but Puel believes that it was the right decision for both parties.
"It's difficult. I think it was the last opportunity for a last contract for Jose. I understand the player, he wanted a big contract, and I understand the position of the club for the future," he told reporters.
"I think it was the best position for both parties. Of course we wanted to replace him and now we are unhappy with the injury of Virgil. We worked hard but could not find a solution.
"It's different because Jose is not just a player, not just a centre-back, he was the captain, and it was a deal with a club. All this was not an obligation, but almost. Keeping a player who is unhappy is difficult. It's always a problem in the team and the squad so it was important."
Fonte endured a miserable debut for West Ham on Wednesday night, conceding a penalty in a 4-0 defeat to Manchester City, and will make a swift return to St Mary's when the Hammers face Southampton on Saturday.
Barney Corkhill
