The Professional Footballers’ Association has announced the nominees for its Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards.Arsenal playmaker Samir Nasri, along with Tottenham’s leftback-turned-winger Gareth Bale, were nominated for both honours.
Bale’s teammate Rafael van der Vaart, who has had little difficulty settling into the English Premier League following a 11th-hour move from Real Madrid on August 31, was named among the list for the open age award.
Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez’s stellar form in front of goal earned him a nomination, while England midfielder Scott Parker was also recognised for his fine displays that have kept West Ham’s hopes of avoiding relegation alive.
Also nominated are Manchester United defensive lynchpin Nemanja Vidic and Charlie Adam, who has been the central figure in Blackpool’s first season in the top-flight since 1971.
Nominated for the Young Player of the Year award are Bale, Seamus Coleman (Everton), Joe Hart (Manchester City), Javier Hernandez (Manchester United), Nani (Manchester United), Nasri and Jack Wilshere (Arsenal).
Barcelona can take a big step towards a third successive La Liga title on Saturday when they welcome struggling Osasuna to the Nou Camp.Pep Guardiola’s men are eight points clear of Real Madrid on top of the league table with just six games to play, and they will no doubt have been stung by their 1-0 loss to Jose Mourinho’s side in Wednesday’s Copa del Rey final.
In a blow for the reigning champions, defender Adriano has been ruled out of action for four weeks after injuring a hamstring in the cup defeat.
Osasuna are sure to be fighting tooth and nail, having lost their past three matches to leave them sitting just two points outside the drop zone in 16th position.
Real Madrid kept their slim title chances alive thanks to a late penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo that salvaged them a 1-1 draw against Barca at the Bernabeu last weekend, and they will face another stern test on Saturday against third-placed Valencia.
Saturday’s other match pits fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao against 12th-placed Real Sociedad who are just five points clear of the bottom three.
Bilbao are in pole position for one of two Europa League places for next season, and they have a two-point cushion over sixth-placed Sevilla and Atletico Madrid, with eighth-placed Espanyol a further point behind.
On Sunday, Atletico – the 2009-10 Europa League champions – take on a Levante side who have won eight of their past 12 games to sit in ninth place, while Sevilla welcome fourth-placed Villarreal to the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.
Espanyol face a tricky trip to Sporting Gijon and Getafe travel to Mallorca.
At the bottom of the table, a loss for Almeria at Real Zaragoza would make their La Liga survival incredibly difficult, while second bottom Hercules host Deportivo La Coruna.
Malaga, who are outside the drop zone by just goal difference, travel to Racing Santander.
Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martinez insists Hugo Rodallega will bounce back from his moment of madness against Everton.The club’s top scorer gifted a point to Everton on Saturday by giving away a penalty and Wigan were pegged back from their lead to draw 1-1.
Relegation-threatened Wigan cannot afford another slip-up as they are still in the bottom three ahead of Saturday’s trip to Aston Villa.
Martinez said: “We are all disappointed with what happened, but Hugo has the full support of everyone at the football club.”
“He is a very strong character, and he’ll win many points for us in the future.”
“His performance against Everton was very, very good.”
“His action reflected the responsibility and the tension that games this time of year come with, and it’s important we all learn from it.”
“Experiences like this make you a better player, and hopefully he can carry on working hard and scoring goals.”
“Hugo is a very positive person, but it was a difficult moment for him as you can imagine.”
“To work so hard and not be able to finish with a winning feeling is hard to take.”
“But Hugo has a strong group of players around him and he’s ready to get rid of that frustration as quickly as possible.”
Martinez is sweating on the fitness of key duo Charles N’Zogbia (dead leg) and Momo Diame (groin) ahead of the Midlands trip.
The pair both picked up knocks in that Everton draw and face a race against time to recover for Saturday’s game.
“We have been treating them and will see how they progress during the week,” Martinez said.
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“It is important we give them as long as we can before we can make a decision.”
“I have got a feeling it will end up being a really, really late call on them both, and we are prepared for that.”
“Both players are absolutely desperate to be involved and help the team – I love that kind of attitude.”
“But we have to make the right decision for all parties, whatever it is, that will enable us to win the football match.”
Deportivo La Coruna boss Miguel Angel Lotina rued his team’s luck after they were relegated from La Liga following a 2-0 loss to Valencia.Lotina’s side missed several chances before goals from Aritz Aduriz and Roberto Soldado sealed their fate in on Saturday.
Deportivo began the final matchday of the season in 17th, but were sent plummeting into the bottom three by Real Zaragoza’s 2-1 win at Levante.
The Spanish manager said his team was unfortunate in the last month of the season, in which they collected just five points of a possible 18.
“To summarise what happened today, I think that we were very unlucky. Neither the fans nor the players deserve this relegation,” Lotina said.
“With 43 points we are going to the second division. I do not think we deserve this.”
“Bad luck and circumstances have been the cause of our decline. Everything in the last month went against us. We thought we were safe. We have not had a drop of luck.”
Having won the La Liga crown in 1999/2000 and finished in the top half of the table in the previous three seasons, Deportivo’s relegation to the Segunda Division represents a considerable fall from grace.
Lotina said he took the majority of the blame: “I take a great deal of the responsibility. What we need now is the full support of the entire club and to return to the first division as soon as possible. The more responsibility the coach takes, the better,” he said.
“Everyone who has supported us has been great. It will be difficult when we begin our season in the Segunda.”
Next season will mark Deportivo’s first appearance in the Segunda since the 1990/91 campaign, when they finished second to gain automatic promotion to the top flight,
Youssouf Mulumbu’s early goal sealed a 1-0 win for West Bromwich Albion against 10-man Everton at the Hawthorns on Saturday.The late dismissal of Diniyar Bilyaletdinov did not help the visitors’ cause as West Brom clinched their first league double over Everton since 1979.
It was also the first time the home side have kept a clean sheet in 35 English Premier League matches this season, stretching back to August 2010.
There were four changes to the West Brom line-up following an abject defeat at Wolves last weekend, but it was two mainstays that combined to create the 10th-minute breakthrough.
First Nigerian forward Peter Odemwingie struck the side-netting following a Mulumbu through-ball, before the roles were reversed.
Odemwingie took Chris Brunt’s pass to the byline and fed Mulumbu with a slide-rule ball – and the Congolese midfielder buried it from three yards out to make it 1-0 to West Brom.
West Brom goalkeeper Scott Carson produced a top-drawer save from Victor Anichebe to preserve the lead, with Tim Howard soon matching his opposite number’s heroics by tipping a Chris Brunt free-kick over the bar.
Both sides went close in the 25th minute as a header from Everton’s Johnny Heitinga glanced past the post.
Jerome Thomas then weaved past the visitors’ defence only to see fullback Tony Hibbert block his shot on the goal line.
Howard was back to his best to keep out Odemwingie’s header, with Carson again matching his counterpart by pushing another goal-bound Anichebe header to safety.
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Simon Cox was inches away from making it 2-0 to West Brom – he failed to convert Odemwingie’s cross with the goal at his mercy.
The home side were forced to hold out late in the game during Bilyaletdinov’s five-minute cameo from the bench.
The Russian impressed at first, but wastefully fired over before receiving a straight red card for a studs-up tackle on James Morrison.
The 21 year-old defender actually started his career as a striker before moving further back the pitch simply due to a lack of defensive options in the Paris Saint Germain youth team. Sakho is still at the club after four years of service and has broken in to Laurent Blanc’s French senior side over the past year. Arsene Wenger has been a long-time admirer of the Paris-born player and Liverpool are also said to be interested in signing Sakho, with a fee of around £12-18 million likely to tempt his hometown club to sell this summer.
Kevin Gameiro:
Gameiro scored 22 Ligue 1 goals last season, just under half of all Lorient’s goals in the League. He is 24 years-old and regularly competes with Karim Benzema for the striker’s role in the French national team. He has already made himself available to potential suitors, stating: “I want to go to a bigger club than Lorient in France or abroad. If I go abroad it is to play in the Champions League. If I stay in France, this would be for the Champions League and maybe also the Europa League.” Newcastle were the first Premiership team to declare and interest but are likely to be disappointed by Gameiro’s ambition to play in Europe next year. Valencia are rumoured to be exploiting the striker’s affinity to Spain and a bid of around £12million should prise him away from Ligue 1.
Nene:
The Brazilian-born winger scored 18 times in his first season at Paris Saint Germain having played for eight clubs in Spain, France and Brazil over the last ten years. He is 29 now so represents a player at his peak with immediate quality and was one of the major contributors to his club’s successful season, finishing 4th in Ligue 1. It is not known whether Nene is looking to move on this summer, nor the transfer fee his sale would command, but he would undoubtedly provide a top-8 Premiership club the required attributes for a wide-man.
Rio Mavuba:
The defensive midfielder originally joined Lille on loan for six months between January and June 2008 after his move to Villarreal from Bordeaux wasn’t working out. The club signed him on permanent terms that summer, securing his return to Ligue 1, and made him captain. He has now completed three full seasons with the recently crowned champions of France, and although not a goal-scorer, possess frightening power for a player of his size (roughly 5ft 7inches).
Marvin Martin:
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The creative midfielder has been at Sochaux for his entire three-year professional career and was instrumental in propelling the club that has trained him for the past nine years to a fifth placed finish in Ligue 1 last term. He was called up by Laurent Blanc for last Monday’s friendly fixture with Ukraine and was introduced as a substitute. Martin scored twice and set up a third to complete a dream debut for his country, becoming just the fourth player to score twice on his first French senior appearance. He scored just three goals last season but assisted an impressive nineteen, and is likely to require a bid of around £13million to lure him away from France in what would be his first ever transfer.
Tottenham are reportedly interested in Standard Liege defender Eliaquim Mangala, but will have to battle a number of leading French and Italian clubs for his signature.
Harry Redknapp is supposedly interested in bolstering his options in central defence, with the side being stretched in that position in 2010/11 with long term injuries to Ledley King, Jonathan Woodgate and Younes Kaboul negatively impacting on the side.
The 20-year-old centre back of Congolese descent has made twelve appearances for France under-21’s and despite being in contract until June 2013 is reportedly ready to move on from the Belgian club, with an estimated value of £4million.
L’Equipe state that Paris St Germain, backed by new owners Qatar Investment Authority, and Ligue 1 champions Lille are interested in bringing the Colombes born man back to his homeland.
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The French media source also state that Juventus have been in touch with Mangala’s agent, and that Udinese are preparing to bid for the player.
Sir Alex Ferguson has seemingly admitted defeat in Manchester United’s pursuit of Wesley Sneijder, according to Sky Sports.
The Inter Milan midfielder has been linked with a move to Old Trafford all summer but now it seems Ferguson has given up on signing the player by saying it’s time to forget about him.
Despite the United boss stating on Thursday that there isn’t any current interest in the Dutchman it hasn’t stopped the media from speculating that a deal may be forthcoming.
It’s even been claimed that the clubs shirt manufacturers Nike will get involved to ensure that any deal for Sneijder, which could prove lucrative to them, will go through.
Ferguson and his squad are currently in Seattle on their summer tour of the United States. When quizzed by Sky Sports about Sneijder on Sunday the United boss was straightforward in his response.
“Forget it,” he said. “We are looking at some things but I am not so sure Sneijder will be easy to get.”
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Ferguson’s admittance of defeat in the chase for his prime target may force him to consider other midfield alternatives. It’s a position he is keen to strengthen especially now that his lynchpin Paul Scholes has retired.
The People are reporting that David Moyes is hoping to land Tottenham striker Peter Crouch by offering Jack Rodwell in exchange.
Moyes has failed to secure any transfers so far this summer and is eyeing up Crouch who is thought to be available.
A £10 million fee hangs over the forward’s head and the Toffee’s boss is considering throwing Rodwell in to tempt Spurs into selling at a reduced rate.
Despite showing considerable promise the 20-year-old has been beset by injuries over the last few years and Moyes is prepared to sacrifice him to land Crouch.
Boss Harry Redknapp is looking to shake up his attacking options at White Hart Lane and the deal and watched Rodwell in action against Villareal on Friday night.
He would have to rubber stamp the move any move but it’s been reported that the deal has been discussed at the highest level.
Moyes will have to move quickly if he is to land the England striker with Stoke City closing in on a £20 million deal for him and Wilson Palacios.
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His £70,000-a-week wages have stalled the deal leading to Everton’s interest although the cash strapped Merseysiders won’t be able to afford his demands.
The Toffee’s will have to sell before they can buy but have so far failed to get high-earners Yakubu and Joseph Yobo off the wage bill at Goodison Park.
Arsene Wenger has claimed out-of-favour striker Nicklas Bendtner could stay at Arsenal Sky Sports understands.
The Gunners boss made the Danish international available for transfer this summer after becoming tired of his inconsistent performances.
Bendtner has also stated his desire to leave the Emirates Stadium to join a side where he is guaranteed a starting berth which will be harder to come by at Arsenal with Robin Van Persie, Marouane Chamakh and Gervinho in front of him.
However the French boss hasn’t ruled out the chance of the 23-year-old remaining in North London.
“In his interview Bendtner said he was gone. But I checked, and he’s not gone at all!” Wenger said.
“I promised I’d let him go if he found the right club and that hasn’t changed. When I make a promise, I keep it.
“But if he doesn’t find the right opportunity, he’ll stay and fight for his place like everybody else. He looks sharp in training.”
Interest is thought to be high with Premier League rivals Newcastle, Stoke and Sunderland all interested in securing his services.
Bendtner also has suitors from abroad with Sporting Lisbon and Borussia Dortmund also keeping tabs on his situation.
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However in light of Wenger’s comments it looks like the striker could be sticking around at the Emirates for at least another season with no firm bid received from any of his potential suitors.