Jose Fonte has denied that he has rejected a new contract with Southampton by revealing the club have told him he will not be offered a deal.
Fonte, 32, has 18 months left on his current deal and ESPN FC sources confirmed multiple media reports earlier on Tuesday that the player could leave St Mary's in January.
The central defender, attracting interest from Manchester United and Everton, took to Instagram on Tuesday evening to say: "Just to set the record straight I did NOT reject a new contract, in fact I have been informed by Southampton that they are NOT offering me a new contract. My focus is on Thursday helping us win the game! #wemarchon"
A photo posted by JOSE FONTE (@f6nte) on
Southampton may now be planning to sell before the player's value drops even further when he enters the final year of his contract.
The 32-year-old, who helped Portugal win the European Championship in the summer, was a target for United and Everton -- now managed by former Saints boss Ronald Koeman -- in the summer transfer window.
United boss Jose Mourinho had sought to bring in a defender with Fonte's profile and is a big admirer of his compatriot.
He remains keen to add to his centre-back options in January and United have been linked with a host of names, including Benfica's Victor Lindelof, but the Portuguese giants have placed a £40 million price tag on him, which may prohibit a move.