‘He refused’: Former Charlton Athletic and Reading man previously linked with Portsmouth sensationally departs League One club
Former Reading, Oxford United and Charlton Athletic defender Tariq Fosu was linked with Pompey in January 2024, but more than 18 months on, he’s sensationally departed Northampton Town.
Defender Tariq Fosu was linked with Pompey in January 2024 but a move to the south coast never materialised.
But 18 months on, the full-back has sensationally departed Northampton Town after rejecting a new contract.
Eleven players initially left Sixfields at the end of the campaign, while five other members of Kevin Nolan’s squad were offered new deals.
For Fosu, however, he fell into neither bracket, with the Cobblers stating ‘conversations are ongoing’ following the conclusion of his one-year deal.
After a season without a club, the ex-Charlton and Oxford United man signed for Northampton in August 2024. He would go onto feature 39 times during his sole campaign as Nolan’s men finished 19th in League One.
But the 29-year-old will now become the 12th departure at Sixfields during the close season, with the Cobblers’ boss revealing the defender ‘refused’ to sign fresh terms to remain with the club.
Nolan told our sister paper, the Northampton Chronicle: ‘He refused the contract and we just move on. I wish Tariqe the best. He did well for me.
‘I gave him a few home truths but he took them on board and came back and proved he could do it moving forward.
‘I look forward to seeing where he goes next and that applies to all of the players who have left the club this summer. I said to each of them at the end of the season that they’ve got my number and please give me a call for advice or anything else. They all played their part in keeping this club in League One and I feel I owe them that and I wish them all the best.
‘I only wish good luck to all the lads who have left us but this is football. It’s a tough business and we all move on.’
Pompey’s reported interest in Tariq Fosu
The 29-year-old was without a club having been released by Brentford at the end of the 2022-23 campaign.
With Connor Ogilvie and Jack Sparkes already competing for the left-back position, a move for the defender was quickly rubbished, with Mousinho making it clear Fosu was not on trial at Fratton Park.
The head coach told The News at the time: ‘I did see that rumour, but Tariqe is not trialling. Honestly, we haven’t got any triallists at the moment.
‘I think it’s one of those things, it’s relatively difficult with triallists. We wouldn’t dismiss it if something came to us which we thought was a good idea, but it is difficult at this time of year.
‘If there was a triallist available that we want to look at, then absolutely, but not at the moment, it’s not something we are doing right now.’