Southampton’s captain, Jose Fonte, has admitted that he talked with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and he asked the former Saint to come back…but the Ox is going nowhere.

Speaking to JustFootball, Fonte revealed that the two discussed the Ox returning to the south coast, but it seems as if he is set to stay (we all knew that anyway).

If a former Southampton player is leaving the club this summer, then it won’t be this one.

“I know how good he is,” Fonte said

“And I am not going to lie: we talked about it [a move to Southampton].

“I asked him, I spoke to him, I am good friends with him. I want the best for him but what can I say? He’s an Arsenal player. He’s happy there. 

“He has the quality to be a star player at Arsenal but what I mean is we would love to have him back.

“If we want to put a team out to fight for trophies, to fight in European competitions, why not?”

Alex has returned to first team training as Arsenal finally have a fully-fit squad for the first time this season. Good thing there are still plenty of matches left and the title isn’t over…oh wait!

It looks like injuries could cost Oxlade-Chamberlain once again this summer.

It is extremely unlikely that Roy Hodgson will take him to the Euros given both his problems and his form, but he’s planning on taking Jack Wilshere, so who the hell knows.

Anyway, this is one rumour we can now put to bed.

That won’t stop it appearing again and again, but at least we know what to really make of it all.