Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri has been named the Premier League manager of the month for March, while Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane has won the players’ award.
Ranieri guided his team to three wins and a draw during the month to consolidate their position at the top of the table, where they currently sit seven points clear of Tottenham with six games to play.
This is the second time this season that Ranieri, who has also been named Italian coach of the year on the back of Leicester’s remarkable season, has won the award.
Koeman wants Forster to stay
Southampton will attempt to tie Fraser Forster down to a new long-term contract this summer, to fend off a host of clubs chasing the England goalkeeper’s services.
Forster signed a four-year deal when joining Saints from Celtic in 2014. The 28-year-old’s string of impressive performances has reputedly had the likes of Chelsea circling, but now Saints manager Ronald Koeman has admitted he is keen for Forster to pen new terms.
Quizzed on whether Southampton would aim to complete a new contract for Forster this summer, Koeman said: “That’s a possibility yes.”
A. Villa could make unwanted history
Aston Villa’s surrender of their top-flight status could claim an unwanted place in history should their relegation be confirmed this weekend.
Villa must at least match Norwich’s result at Crystal Palace to survive for another week. If they fail to do that, they will be condemned to the second-fastest relegation in terms of games played since the Premier League shrunk to 20 teams two decades ago.
The fastest Premier League relegation is held by Derby County, who hit the ejector seat after 32 games of a 2007/08 season that yielded a record-low 11 points.
Galliani urges Balotelli to perform
On-loan striker Mario Balotelli needs to prove his worth if he wants to stay at Milan, club CEO Adriano Galliani said.
“He has an immense desire to stay here at the club. I hope he shows that with his performances,” Galliani said of the Liverpool forward, who joined Milan on a season-long loan deal last August.
“I told him that based on what he has shown until now, he does not deserve to stay.”
The Italian player, who has scored only three goals in 17 games but was sidelined through injury for about three months late last year, still appears likely to be heading back to Liverpool after his loan spell ends in June.
Nagatomo commits to Inter until 2019
Japan defender Yuto Nagatomo has extended his contract with Inter until 2019, the Italian club said on their website yesterday.
“I’ve never thought about leaving,” Nagatomo, whose contract was due to expire at the end of the season, told reporters.
“As I’ve said before, I love Inter and want to give my all for the club.”
The 29-year-old has scored 11 goals in 172 matches for Inter since joining from Cesena in 2011. He was part of the side that won the Coppa Italia in 2011.
Pellegrini plans to play Kompany
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini’s plans to play captain Vincent Kompany in next Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final, second-leg against PSG could rekindle his feud with Belgium boss Marc Wilmots over the defender.
Kompany has not played since injuring his knee against Dynamo Kiev on March 15 and Wilmots is concerned another injury could rule the Belgium captain out of Euro 2016.
Pellegrini said Kompany had an outside chance of playing in the home leg.
“We’ll see him during the week and what he improves,” he said.
“The last few days, he’s worked very well. We must test him with more intensity and it’s very difficult to tell now.”
Townsend not missing Spurs
Newcastle winger Andros Townsend said he does not regret swapping a chance to win the league with Tottenham for a relegation battle.
The 24-year-old moved in search of regular first-team football in January but could soon be dealing with life in the Championship as his new team are second-bottom in the table with seven games remaining.
“I definitely don’t have any regrets,” he said.
“I’m playing for a massive club and playing Premier League football. I’m playing 90 minutes of games, and I’m 100 per cent delighted with the move I made to Newcastle.
“You see the fans out there and see how passionate they are, and we’re desperate to give them something to cheer about.”