Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster has signed a new five-year contract that will keep him at the club until 2021, the Premier League side said.
The England international joined the Saints from Celtic in 2014 and has been impressive on his return from a serious knee-injury this season, keeping six clean sheets in a row.
Forster broke a Southampton record after going 708 minutes without conceding a goal, the longest run in the club’s top-flight history.
Felipe Melo staying at Inter – agent
Jose Baster Rodriguez, the agent of Felipe Melo, told reporters yesterday that the midfielder will not be changing clubs this summer after deciding to stay with Inter.
Melo, of Brazil, signed for the Serie A club from Turkey’s Galatasaray last year but reports in the Italian media had indicated that he was in favour of a transfer this summer.
Rodriguez denied the reports.
“Felipe wants to play for Inter next season as well,” he said.
“He won’t go to any other club, because he’s happy in Milan.”
This season, Melo was red carded twice. He got a three-match ban for a wild kick on Lazio’s Lucas Biglia in December.
Wenger denies new contract talk
Arsene Wenger insists he is not on the verge of signing a new contract at Arsenal and will base his decision on his future on how his side fare next season.
The 66-year-old’s current deal at the Emirates Stadium expires at the end of the 2016-17 campaign, by which time he will have been in the hot-seat for over two decades.
Reports yesterday suggested Wenger was close to agreeing a two-year extension to his current deal but the Frenchman vehemently dismissed the claims.
Wenger said: “I don’t know where this information comes from. You can treat that as just an invention and no more… it’s absolutely false.”
Rostov subjected to random test
Russian league side Rostov had their entire team subjected to a random doping test following their match against Dinamo Moscow on Thursday, FIFA said.
FIFA said the test was routine and there were no complaints from players or officials.
Rostov, second in the league and two points behind CSKA Moscow, won the match 3-1.
“We have to be unpredictable, they have to know that we can turn up anywhere at any time,” FIFA’s chief medical officer Jiri Dvorak said.
“I have to stress that the team was very co-operative, there was no resistance or complaints whatsoever; they understood what we were doing and that is very important.”
Manager Flores to leave Watford
Manager Quique Sanchez Flores will leave Watford at the end of the current campaign.
Under the 51-year-old Spaniard, Watford achieved an unexpected FA Cup semi-final and secured safety in the Premier League.
Flores recently revealed there was a break clause in his contract. He is the fifth manager in the last two years to part with the club under owner Gino Pozzo.
Just three wins from their last 14 league games had raised questions whether Flores is the right man to lead Watford to a sustained period of success in the top-flight.
Defoe hopes to lead England line
Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe senses an opportunity to lead the line for England at Euro 2016, especially with Arsenal forward Danny Welbeck ruled out for nine months with injury.
Defoe is the third-most prolific English striker in the scoring charts this season behind Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy.
Both Kane and Vardy are likely to be in the England squad which coach Roy Hodgson is scheduled to announce on Monday.
“If I do go, it’ll be a dream be-cause it will be my third tournament and playing for England is something that I’ve always wanted to do,” Defoe said.
Terry considering Chelsea offer
Chelsea captain John Terry has been offered a one-year contract extension, the London club an-nounced yesterday.
Terry is out of contract at the end of this season and in January said he would not be extending his stay. The Blues insisted an offer may be forthcoming, and it arrived this week.
A Chelsea spokesperson said: “(Director) Marina Granovskaia and (chairman) Bruce Buck met with John and his agent this week and offered him a one-year contract extension.
“With it coming so late in the season, this is a big decision for John and his family and it is something that they are now considering.”
The 35-year-old defender has made 703 appearances since his debut in October 1998.