Aston Villa have secured English Premier League survival and with it a good chance of keeping Christian Benteke at the club.

Paul Lambert took a massive gamble on the Belgian at the start of the season, but the 22-year-old repaid that faith by notching 22 goals and effectively firing Villa to safety by outscoring others.

Villa want to get a deal done where they can extend Benteke's contract, reward him with a pay raise and build a team around him (via The Daily Mail), and Christian has admitted he owes Lambert a lot.

Still, the elite clubs will circle this summer, so let's run down his four most likely destinations should he leave the Midlands club. 

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Rafa Benitez crowned off a very good interim period in charge of Chelsea with a UEFA Europa League winners' medal.

He took the club to the semifinals of the FA Cup only to lose to fellow powerhouse Manchester City, then completed his minimum league goal of achieving Champions League football for next season.

The Blues' still have a semi-meaningless game on the schedule against Everton on Sunday, but Wednesday night's triumph in Amsterdam is how the public will remember Benitez rounding off his time at Stamford Bridge.

When the Spaniard leaves his post next week, he will sit back in his comfy armchair, sip on a glass of red wine and smile to himself: He did a fantastic job in the face of true adversity.

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For the second season in a row Chelsea claimed a European trophy in the most dramatic of circumstances.

A year ago, Didier Drogba's late goal denied Bayern Munich and took the Champions League final to extra-time and ultimately penalties. This time it was Branislav Ivanovic who played hero, heading the winner in the third and final minute of added time as the Blues beat Benfica to the Europa League title.

Rafa Benitez might be among the most unpopular managers to work at Chelsea, but he'll leave the club this summer having led them to a fifth European title and with his name etched on their history.

The vision of Ivanovic's powerful far-post header, which saw the defender flex his considerable neck muscles to arc the ball into the opposite top corner, will now be replayed alongside that of Drogba's winning spot-kick in Munich.

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If it's the Europa League, Fernando Torres is probably on the scoresheet. Wednesday's final between Benfica and Torres' Chelsea was no exception.

Torres, a 29-year-old Spain international striker, broke a scoreless tie with a well-taken second-half goal for Chelsea. The goal, which came in the 59th minute, set Chelsea on course to win their second European final in as many years after winning the Champions League crown last season.

Here's what happened. Midfielder Juan Mata flicked the ball to Torres, who escaped behind Benfica's defense. El Niño then held off the challenge of Benfica captain Luisão, rounded goalkeeper Artur Moraes and slotted into the empty net.

The goal appears in GIF form below (h/1 101 Great Goals). Enjoy.

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For those of you who've been living under a rock for the last 12 months, Edinson Cavani has had another phenomenal season and continues to be linked with some of Europe's top clubs.

Arsenal and Manchester City have been linked to the £60 million man (via IB Times), while the Daily Mail believe both City and Paris Saint-Germain have agreed to personal terms with the Uruguayan.

One thing is for sure: He looks destined to leave Napoli this summer. Walter Mazzarri is set to depart the club after taking it as far as it can conceivably go, and there was always a feeling of "now or never" about the Partenopei's Scudetto chase this season.

If you've not seen much of Cavani and only know of his name, you've come to the right place to learn all about how he plays.

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AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli has told CNN he will leave the pitch if subjected to further racist abuse at the hands of fans.

The Italian international was targeted by Roma supporters on Sunday, along with other black players in Milan's squad (Guardian). It was the just the latest incident of racist abuse to befall Balotelli and he told CNN's Pedro Pinto he's ready to react.

Said Balotelli, in an exclusive interview recorded this week:

The 22-year-old Balotelli, who was named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People this year, said he and Milan teammate Kevin-Prince Boateng discussed walking off on Sunday but decided not to.

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The battle to avoid relegation from the English Premier League has come to a conclusion one week early: Wigan Athletic will join Queens Park Rangers and Reading in next season's Championship campaign.

Immediately, fans of the 17 clubs who survived this season begin to peruse the squad lists of the fallen, picking out potential bargain buys for the summer.

Here, we preview some relegated players who look likely to move clubs and re-enter the top domestic division.

You'll notice there are no Reading players. Before you raise a quizzical eyebrow, ask yourself: Would you take any of them at your club?

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Frank Lampard has the goal record, the captaincy for a night and, if the reports are true, a new one-year contract. Now he's ready to lead Chelsea to another piece of silverware.

Chelsea, last season's UEFA Champions League winners, will contest another European final on Wednesday night, this time taking on Benfica in the Europa League's marquee event. Lampard, the Blues' veteran 34-year-old midfielder, will lead the team out as captain (per The Guardian) in place of the injured John Terry.

The honor comes on the heels of another, perhaps even greater, distinction. Lampard set the club's scoring record (he now has 203) on Saturday with two goals against Aston Villa in the Premier League.

On Tuesday, the Daily Telegraph broke a report that said Lampard and Chelsea had agreed to a new one-year contract that would extend the England international's stay at Stamford Bridge.

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