JOSE FONTE has ended his West Ham nightmare with a £4.4million move to China.
The ex-Southampton defender has signed a three-year deal with Dalian Yifang, newly-promoted to the Chinese Super League.
Fonte, 34, has made just 24 starts for West Ham since being signed by Slaven Bilic for £8million from the Saints just over a year ago.
He hasn’t played at all since David Moyes succeeded Bilic.
The Portuguese international never really settled at the London Stadium after winning race reviews at St Mary’s, where he played for seven years after leaving Crystal Palace.
West Ham co-owner David Sullivan’s decision to insult both Fonte and Scotland international Robert Snodgrass made his stay look impossible.
#dalianyifang Obrigado @westham obrigado @southamptonfc e obrigado @cpfc 10anos e 404 jogos depois no FUTEBOL INGLES 
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Fonte said on his Instagram: “Thank you @westham thank you @southamptonfc thank you @cpfc 10 Years and 404 appearances in The ENGLISH GAME 
allow me to be proud of that!!!
“To all the fans that showed love, respect I thank you with all my heart!!! What a beautiful journey I’ve been.
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“To all my chairman’s, Managers,team mates,the staff in every club along the years Thank You!!!
“I’ve always given my absolute maximum and tried to be an exemplary professional and I live by it,so now that a new challenge awaits expect nothing else.
“I look forward to it.”
Fonte’s future always looked to be away from east London after Sullivan slammed his arrival.
The co-owner cut off Bilic’s recruitment budget midway through the summer transfer window before sacking the Croat coach in early November.
Sullivan held little back as he blasted: “I’m not involved in the strategy. The manager says he wants Fonte from Southampton and Snodgrass from Hull. My kids begged me not to sign them.”
Fonte hit back the next day, saying: “It’s ignorance, I’m not going to say anything. It’s not going to change who I am.
“It’s not going to change what I do. I’m going to keep being the good professional that I am. I am going to keep working hard to try and help my team-mates and the manager.
“What has been said has no effect on me or who I am. I am 33 years of age. I have 500 or 600 appearances.
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“I know what I have done in football. I know how hard I have to work to be in this position.
“It makes no difference to me. I will still continue to be the same guy I have always been.”
It is understood that Fonte’s new contract is worth £3.5m a year after tax.
Dalian have also been negotiating the transfer of Belgium forward Yannick Carrasco from Atletico Madrid.
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