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Max Aarons is paying little attention to the transfer talk he is generating, with the Norwich defender prepared to leave links to the likes of Bayern Munich and Tottenham in the hands of others.

The England U21 international has seen his stock rise considerably across the last two seasons. In 2018-19 he helped the Canaries to promotion into the Premier League, before then impressing in what was a testing campaign among the elite for those at Carrow Road.

Norwich are now preparing for a return to the Championship, having suffered relegation, and their most exciting young talents are attracting plenty of interest. Aarons falls into that category, with the 20-year-old right-back considered to be ready for another step up the ladder.

He is aware of the mounting speculation, with Bundesliga champions Bayern said to have joined the race for his signature, but the youngster is not about to let transfer rumours become a distraction.

Aarons told The Athletic: “It’s kind of natural that, as a 20-year-old playing in the Premier League, there will be things out there in the press. I just leave that to the people off the pitch, like Stuart [Webber, Norwich sporting director] or the club to deal with.

“I’ve just tried to focus on finishing the season well in myself and now going away, relaxing over the weeks we have off, and then coming in strong for pre-season.

“Anything else that happens or takes place, it’s not really in my hands. All I can do as a professional footballer is try to develop my game and come back sharp, come back strong and come back ready for a big season.

“I’ve got four years left on my contract here, so I’ll be coming back ready to go, ready to attack next year.”

Aarons has offered no indication that he will be pushing for a move, with the Norwich academy graduate prepared to go again in the second tier if Norwich keep the exit doors closed.

He added: “This season has not gone the way anyone wanted it to but going back to the Championship, we’ve got more than enough in the team as it is at the moment.

“Everyone knows what we can do and even on a Premier League level, when we are right at it and every player was playing well, we have beaten teams. The Championship needs a different approach but no one can doubt the massive amount of quality we have.”

Napoli have confirmed the signing of Nigerian international forward Victor Osimhen from Lille.

The striker, who scored 18 goals in 38 appearances for the Ligue 1 side in the 2019-20 season, moves to Naples in a deal reported to be worth €50 million (£45m/$59m).

Osimhen had been linked with several top European clubs following his impressive goal scoring season, including Arsenal and Liverpool, however he will appear in Serie A in the 2020-21 campaign.

The 10-cap international - who has scored four goals for his country - first moved to Europe in 2017 with Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga, before moving to Charleroi in Belgium, initially on loan and then in a permanent transfer.

He hugely impressed in Belgium with 36 goals in 37 appearances, earning him a €14m (£12.5m/$16.5m) move to Ligue 1, where his impressive scoring form continued.

Osimhen will spearhead Napoli's attack next season, as they look to return to the Champions League having missed out this year. The Neapolitan side will finish only seventh in Serie A, although they have guaranteed qualification for the Europa League group stage by winning the Coppa Italia.

Big things are expected of the highly-rated 21-year-old, with Osimhen capable of making a similar impact at Napoli as Diego Maradona once did, according to the head of Nigerian football, Amaju Pinnick.

Pinnick told Radio Kiss Kiss last week: “I think Victor Osimhen is an excellent signing for Napoli. I’ve followed them from when they had Maradona. Naples is a proud city and also in football terms.

“Osimhen’ i a source of pride for African football. He’s someone who is disciplined but focused on objectives, and if he wants something, he knows how to get it. He made the right decision for his career. I already believe he’ll receive the right support from the club and its fans.

“Napoli are the right club for him to achieve important results, and Osimhen will always give his best. I’ll say it now: Victor will do everything possible to match and even break the records set by a legend like Maradona.

“I talked to Victor just a few minutes ago, he’s very excited about his new experience and new club. Napoli is a big name in world football. It’ll be a new challenge for him and he told me: ‘President, I’ll make Naples proud'.

“If he gets the right support, I guarantee he’ll stick to his word and make you all proud. Believe in him and he’ll help the team achieve their objectives. I’ll come to Naples next season to watch some of their games. Osimhen is young and could stay at Napoli for a long time."

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has hailed the ‘stunning’ performances of Joe Aribo during their pre-season matches.    

The midfielder found the back of the net in their victories over Motherwell and Coventry City and delivered impressive displays against Lyon and Nice.

Ahead of Rangers 2020-21 Premiership opening game against Aberdeen at Pittodrie, the Liverpool and England legend has showered encomium on the Super Eagles midfielder.

“During pre-season, we have been very considerate. Joe Aribo has been stunning,” Gerrard said in a pre-match conference.

“Defensively we have looked solid and looked threatening going forward. Brandon Barker was looking great and a real threat during these matches also.”

Aribo has been a key member of the Gers since teaming up with the side last summer after turning down a contract extension with Charlton Athletic.

The 24-year-old scored eight goals and provided eight assists in 45 appearances across all competitions during his debut season with the side.

The 2019-20 Premiership campaign was abruptly ended due to the outbreak of the coronavirus across the world with Rangers finishing as runner-up behind champions Celtic.

Aribo will hope to help the Ibrox Stadium outfit hit the ground running when they take on Aberdeen on Saturday.

The midfielder has four caps for the Super Eagles since he made his debut for the West Africans against Ukraine in a friendly in September 2019.

Aribo will be expected to play a key for Nigeria during their Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup qualifiers.

Manchester United are preparing to send up to four Under-23  squad members out on loan before the start of the new season.

Midfielder James Garner has attracted the interest of Championship duo Swansea City and Sheffield Wednesday, with the 19-year-old having been given his first senior start against Partizan Belgrade in the Europa League in October.

He also came off the bench against Norwich City in the Premier League a few days after that game, with United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer giving him more minutes against Partizan, AZ and Astana in Europe as well as Colchester in the Carabao Cup.

However, with competition high in midfield, he hasn’t been able to retain his place in the squad following the arrival of Bruno Fernandes and with Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay having returned from injury.

Garner scored nine goals in 12 appearances for the U-23s last season and showed he is ready for a bigger challenge than Premier League Division Two. 

Another player who United are keen to send out on loan is midfielder Dylan Levitt. He impressed on his first senior appearance against Astana in November and was a regular starter for the U-23s last season, aside from illness keeping him sidelined towards the end of 2019.

The 19-year-old was on the brink of making his Wales international debut before Covid-19 forced the suspension of all football. Like Garner, Levitt is another one who has been tipped for a bright future and he too looks ready to benefit from a season on loan in the Championship.

Matej Kovar is also in the loan category. The goalkeeper has travelled with the first team but has yet to make an appearance for Solskjaer’s side. He kept five clean sheets in 11 starts in the league last season and pulled off some impressive stops during United’s run in the EFL Trophy.

With so many ahead of him in the pecking order his pathway to the first team is blocked but he could benefit from the test of a higher-calibre league.

Solskjaer remains determined to stick with his No.1 David de Gea, with Sergio Romero having struggled for game time. Lee Grant is third choice and the return of Dean Henderson, who has been on loan at Sheffield United, has yet to be factored into the equation.

Ethan Laird, meanwhile, was given his debut in the Europa League against Astana in November and has caught the eye of more than just the United manager. The right-back’s performances, where he has shown he is just as effective pushing forward as he is defensively, saw a number of clubs enquire about his loan availability last year.

He has also been training with the first team but in all likelihood would struggle to force his way into Solskjaer’s squad for next season. The defender, who has just turned 18, suffered a knee injury last year, and it’s possible he could be given more time at Old Trafford to eradicate his injury issues before being sent out on loan.

Should he be allowed to leave on loan, however, it’s likely that he would become a regular starter at an EFL club.

Teden Mengi, meanwhile, is one who will remain at the club to further continue his development, with the 18-year-old having been training with the first team since football resumed following the coronavirus pandemic,

Talks over which players would be heading out took place during lockdown between U-23 coach Neil Wood, head of first-team development Nicky Butt and a number of first-team staff. Discussions were held on what would be the most suitable clubs, managers and leagues for potential loan candidates.

"A lot of factors go into sending the individual out on loan,"  Wood told Goal .  "We sit down and discuss and decide the pathway for each player as to who will benefit from staying and who will benefit from going out on loan."

Bidvest Wits have announced that they have promoted eight youngsters including South Africa youth international Keenan Phillips.

The promising defender was part of the South Africa under-20 team also known Amajita at the 2019 Fifa U20 World Cup finals in Poland.

The Clever Boys released the following statement on Friday as they prepare for the resumption of the 2019/20 season which has been suspended since March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"Bidvest Wits have promoted eight players from the club’s reserves ahead of the resumption of the 2019/20 Premier Soccer League season."

"The Clever Boys will return to action for the first time in five months on the 8th of August with a Nedbank Cup semifinal clash against Mamelodi Sundowns, before kicking off a run of nine Absa Premiership fixtures in 25 days away to Kaizer Chiefs at Orlando Stadium on the 12th."

"The club’s MultiChoice Diski Challenge team enjoyed a superb campaign and were top of the standings before COVID-19 resulted in the season being called off," a club statement read.

Wits head coach Gavin Hunt has decided to strengthen his squad having already promoted Rowan Human and Solly Khunyedi during the current campaign.

"With the aim of finishing the top-flight season on a high and taking the number of fixtures in quick succession into consideration, head coach Gavin Hunt has rewarded eight academy players with a chance at first-team football."

"This takes the total number of MDC players that have been promoted to the first team up to 10 for the season. Rowan Human and Solly Khunyedi have both played for the club’s first team during the course of the current campaign," another club statement read.
 
The Clever Boys have promoted Lisakhanya Mlonyeni, Mpho Mathebula, Cuwen Prince, Kabelo Makola, Janovane September, Deon Horn, Malik Mashinini as well as Phillips.

The octet will be hoping to help the Braamfontein-based side secure a top-three finish on the PSL standings in order to qualify for next season's Caf Confederation Cup or Caf Champions League.

Wits are currently placed sixth on the league standings - two points behind third-placed SuperSport United, but the former have three games in hand.

Barcelona have made Eric Garcia their top transfer priority but Manchester City still want to tie down the Spanish defender to a new long-term contract.

The 19-year-old left Barca's La Masia academy three years ago and has since broken into Pep Guardiola's first team at City.

But with his current contract due to expire in 2022, the Catalans want to bring Garcia back to Camp Nou and see him as the long-term successor to Gerard Pique.

Garcia has established himself as a regular in Guardiola's line-up since Project Restart, starting the Premier League clash with Liverpool and FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal.

Moving ahead of John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi in the pecking order, he is also expected to start the Champions League last-16 second leg against Real Madrid.

City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain was set to sit down with the player's representatives to discuss a new deal before the Covid-19 outbreak.

According to sources in Spain, Garcia may consider his future if Guardiola decides to leave the Premier League club.

The City boss is currently in the final 12 months of his contract at the Etihad Stadium and has so far refused to say whether he will commit to a further extension.

In July, Guardiola said that he was confident that Garcia would sign a new long-term deal but Barca remain convinced they can persuade him to return.

“I don’t have any updates. He has one more year on his contract, if Barcelona want him they must call him," Guardiola said last month.

“We are going to try convince him to stay here for many, many, many years.

“I am confident he will stay, but in the end it is his decision. He knows we want him, but it was the same with Leroy [Sane].

“We want him, but he doesn’t want to stay, we cannot do anything else.

“He knows, his agent knows, his family knows that we want him. If Barcelona want him, they have to call Txiki.”

Germany winger Sane was allowed to join Bayern Munich earlier in the summer for an initial €49m (£44.7m/$55m) when he entered the final year of his contract.

City are looking at bringing in new centre-backs this season, with Bournemouth's Nathan Ake set to join in a €44m (£40m/$52m) deal.

They could also look at bringing in another central defender, with Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly a potential target. 

Bruno Fernandes can help to make Manchester United title challengers in 2020-21, claims Dimitar Berbatov, with the Red Devils needing to “improve again” in a bid to close in on Liverpool and Manchester City.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer guided his side to a third-place Premier League finish in 2019-20, with an impressive run of form since the turn of the year – which was not disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic – seeing Champions League qualification secured.

The challenge now is to build on those foundations, with a side accustomed to challenging for major honours looking to rein in a couple of local rivals who have pulled well clear of the chasing pack.

Berbatov believes United are capable of doing that, with a few minor tweaks required in the transfer market in order for those at Old Trafford to become serious contenders for the domestic crown once more.

The former Red Devils striker told Betfair: “By default, my opinion is United should be challenging for the title, even when going through difficult periods.

“It's been a challenging few years, but the fact remains that United need to be challenging for the title. They need to improve again to challenge Man City and Liverpool next season, but they can do it.

“Every season is different and has its unique ups and downs, the teams you expect don't always end up doing well, but with United you always expect them to be title contenders, especially if they make some signings.”

United have found plenty of value in recent windows, bringing in the likes of Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes, with the addition of a Portuguese playmaker in January considered to have raised the collective standard in Manchester.

Berbatov added: “The signing of Bruno Fernandes lifted the team massively. The team's spirit changed when he came in, he has blended in really well, connecting the back four and the attack.

“To step up and show that responsibility is huge, he's been an amazing signing for them. He's important to United, but important to the players around him also.

“He's been a very pleasant surprise, because usually one player doesn't make such a difference. United need to maintain this level of consistency.”

The decline of local league football in Sub-Saharan Africa in the 90s coincided almost perfectly with the rise in popularity of the English top flight.

As the Premier League spread its wings and beamed a glossy, well-produced spectacle pregnant with history across the globe, a race for the soul of African football fans ostensibly began.

Much of the fandom within the continent before then was centered on Manchester United and Liverpool, the two behemoths of the English game in the decade that straddled the formation of the Premier League. However, the rise of Arsenal as a force, heralded by the arrival of Arsene Wenger in 1996, introduced another horse into the race.

While the Gunners did not enjoy the hegemonic success of United, or have the storied European history of Liverpool, they quickly gained emotional buy-in through Wenger's affinity for African players.

The Frenchman had previous in this sense: while at Monaco, he had famously blooded George Weah. Wenger left such a profound imprint on the 1995 Fifa World Footballer of the Year that Weah admits "there was no way [he] would have made it in Europe" without that guidance.

“He was a father figure and regarded me as his son. This was a man, when racism was at its peak, who showed me love,” Weah told The Guardian in 2017.

Upon taking over Arsenal, Wenger signed Weah's Liberian compatriot Christopher Wreh, and after winning the double in his first full season in charge, he brought Nigeria international Nwankwo Kanu to Highbury in January 1999.

This singular act served to boost the club's popularity on the continent. Kanu had been named Africa's best player three years prior, and would go on to achieve icon status at Arsenal, win multiple FA Cups and league titles, and win the Africa Footballer of the Year award a second time.

Wenger returned frequently to the wellspring of African talent, cementing Arsenal's pride of place on the continent with the recruitments of Cameroon midfield dynamo Lauren – who he would repurpose as a right-back – and Kolo Toure. Both would play key roles in the fabled Invincibles season in 2003/04 as the Gunners won the title without losing a single game. It remains, to date, Arsenal's last league title.

A wave of change had already begun to shake up English football in 2003, when Roman Abramovich bought London club Chelsea. While a raft of new signings quickly made the Blues formidable, it was not until the following summer, and the arrival of Jose Mourinho, that the club became a major player in the league.

Chelsea did have an African presence in the late 90s in the form of Celestine Babayaro, and had the versatile Geremi on the books as well. Really though, it was the signings of, first Didier Drogba and, then, Michael Essien that ramped up the Blue's popularity in African football.

It was a good moment too: both were star players for national teams that were experiencing a return to relevance on the international stage. Ghana and Ivory Coast were en route to maiden participations at the World Cup, and Essien and Drogba respectively carried the hopes and aspirations of their nations.

It was also important that they wrested the prodigious John Obi Mikel away from the grasp of Manchester United. Aged just 20 at the time of his arrival at Stamford Bridge, he was not yet the star of Nigerian football, but it was clear he was going to be.

And so it was that, just as the balance of footballing power in London was shifting from N5 to SW3, so were Africa's loyalties. Chelsea-mania promptly spread all over West Africa especially.

The arrival of Emmanuel Adebayor at Arsenal briefly saw that swing once more the other way. The towering Togo international, by virtue of his Nigerian roots as well as a monstrous 2007/08 season which saw him named Africa Footballer of the Year, was also able to elicit the adulation of Africa's most populous country once again, albeit for a relatively brief period before his acrimonious departure in 2009.

Bar the acquisition of Gervinho in 2011, the Gunners would not enter the market for a key African addition until Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was signed for a club record fee in January 2018.

For their part, Chelsea have seen the likes of Demba Ba and Samuel Eto'o play fleeting, but often memorable roles.

It is helpful to view the stranglehold of these two clubs on the African continent as a bit of a stalemate. As far as Africa Footballer of the Year awards go, on the Arsenal side both Adebayor and Aubameyang have had the honour; on the Chelsea side, Drogba.

There is, naturally, a stronger history of trophy success on the Chelsea side of things: alongside Drogba, Salomon Kalou was a lynchpin of the Blues' 2012 Champions League triumph.

Both clubs have leaned heavily on players of African extraction, and have been rewarded both in terms of silverware and, crucially, in the growth of their respective fanbases on the continent.

Cesc Fabregas has called on Arsenal to master the art of winning ugly, with Mikel Arteta still lacking the “top players” required to emulate the brand of football played by Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

Fabregas says that is the ultimate goal for the highly-rated coach who spent three years working as assistant to the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss at the Etihad Stadium.

The Gunners remain a work in progress – an eighth-place Premier League finish in 2019-20 proving as much.

Arsenal are, however, through to the FA Cup final and can bring the curtain down on their campaign in style with major silverware and qualification for the Europa League.

A meeting with Chelsea at Wembley Stadium promises to deliver another stern test of their credentials, with Arteta’s side needing to plug defensive leaks and rekindle their attacking spark.

Fabregas is looking for Arteta to ensure that the Gunners have more than a Plan A, with it important for them to remain competitive as they work on bringing fresh faces into their ranks.

The former Arsenal captain told The Sun: “I hope he does it. I don’t really know Mikel that well. He has his style, but I don’t think it is one to win ugly.

“Pep has a team that costs God knows how many millions. Mikel doesn’t have that.

“When you want to compete at the top, playing a certain style with positive, possession and attacking football, you need top, top players. Pep has them. Mikel is not there yet. Probably in the future he will be. He has taught the players in a short period of time how he wants to do it.

“You see that some have improved a lot for doing that. Now let’s see if he can transform that into titles.”

Fabregas believes Arsenal should be taking a page out of Chelsea’s book when it comes to chasing down honours, with the World Cup winner having experienced life in north and west London across two spells in English football.

The Spaniard said of his time at Stamford Bridge: “The difference I felt straightaway is that we were ruthless. At Arsenal and it was maybe my fault at some point as the captain that I was, I loved the beautiful game. I was not very experienced like I was when I went back to Chelsea.

“I always liked to have the ball and demand the ball in difficult areas, even when winning 1-0 and playing for the league, you still want to do the same thing, because you are young and, in this case, a bit stupid in certain  situations.

“Every player felt the same, that this was the only way to win. Sometimes we forgot that to win leagues, you need to win ugly. There are always five or six games a season where you struggle but win.

“At Chelsea, we did that. We were very competitive and very experienced. That’s the main difference. In terms of talent, at Arsenal there were fantastic players, but at Chelsea, we didn’t really care if one day we won 1-0 without touching the ball for the whole match.

“It’s just maybe the way we competed was different. You don’t really know why or how.

“I would not forgive myself if I never won the Premier League. Winning that first Premier League, I remember when the referee whistled at the end, going on my knees, lifting my two arms up, looking at the sky.”

Simba SC winger Francis Kahata has revealed the team is still disappointed with the fact that they could not have a major impact in the Caf Champions League.

In the 2018/19 season, Wekundu wa Msimbazi reached the quarter-finals before falling to 4-1 in aggregate to Congolese side TP Mazembe. The team targeted a semi-final berth in the 2019/20 season but it was not going to be as they were eliminated in the preliminary rounds.

"I thank God for finishing the league well without an injury," Kahata told Goal on Friday.

"There is one target we had as a team which we did not achieve, and everyone was disappointed. In the previous season, the team reached the quarter-finals of the [Caf Champions League]. So our target was to go past the stage or even match it, but it did not happen and we were disappointed, but it is football.

"After the disappointment, we had to concentrate on the league; yes, there are a few matches we lost and drew, but we got the consistency needed. It was tough initially, but once the team gelled, we got the result we needed and ended up winning the league with six matches to go."  

The 29-year-old joined Simba from Kenyan Premier League (KPL) side Gor Mahia at the beginning of the season. It was his debut season in Tanzania Mainland League and he has gone out to explain how it felt.

"We all know this was my first season to play football here in Tanzania, and being my first season I appreciate we have managed to win the league and as a result, I have managed to bag my first medal and it is my first achievement," Kahata continued.

"I also remember getting the Best Player of the Month Award, which came in December 2019. So generally I have had a good season.  

"I have played my part in helping the team win, finishing the season with six goals and as many assists which I feel is not bad considering it is my debut season. I came to a new place, a different climate as compared to what I am used to. Sometimes, the away ground is not per the standards required which affected our tactics." 

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has dismissed the notion he and Frank Lampard could be considered the next Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp.

Arteta and Lampard go head to head at Wembley on Saturday in the FA Cup final, hoping to win the first trophies of their coaching careers.

Arsenal managed only to finish eighth in the Premier League this season but have won praise for positive signs of progress in their play, most notably in the FA Cup semi-final win over Manchester City.

Lampard, who took charge of Chelsea last year, steered the Blues to a top-four finish despite the restrictions of a one-window transfer ban and is now looking to lift a trophy he won four times for the London club in his playing days.

Arteta is full of admiration for Lampard but is not yet prepared to embrace the idea the pair are the natural successors to Klopp and Guardiola as the leading coaches in England.

"About Frank as a player, absolutely top," Arteta said on Friday. "I think the consistency he was able to play for that many years in the position he plays at such a big club and doing what he did was incredible. Big credit to him on that.

"As a manager, he has shown since Derby the kind of ambition and person he has and the way he encourages his team to play. We are both young, both trying to learn our position so I wouldn't like to compare to the two managers you mention."

Arteta twice won the FA Cup as a player with Arsenal and admits victory on Saturday could prove an important step in his team's development.

"It generates trust when you're winning titles," he said. "It generates moments when together you go through good emotions. It brings everyone together, you have memories, there's a lot of things about winning a trophy that is so positive for any group and when you're in a process it makes it even more important. We have a great opportunity, so let's go for it."

Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud and Arsenal defender David Luiz are set to face their former clubs at Wembley.

Giroud has enjoyed a resurgence in recent weeks, scoring six goals in his past seven appearances in all competitions - including one in the 3-1 semi-final win over Manchester United.

"It's always good connections when these moments arrive," said Arteta. "You can see with Oli in the last few months, how he is performing, the amount of goals he is scoring for them. He has the experience in finals as well.

"In the case of David, such a special day for him to play his former club. Hopefully, he can do the performance he did in the semi-final against City."

Arteta has not been surprised by Giroud's strong form even though the France forward has often been compared unfavourably to great Arsenal strikers of the recent past, such as Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie.

"I'm not surprised because I know Oli and he's a fighter," he said. "When he played for Arsenal, he had some difficult moments, but he always reacted.

"Comparing him with the greatest is like always: they've done it, they did it for long periods, they were really successful at the club, so any comparison with them is always difficult. I'm glad he is doing really well and hopefully tomorrow he won't do that well."

Mohamed Salah says it was always his intention to take in Champions League and Premier League glory with Liverpool.

The Egyptian arrived at Anfield in the summer of 2017 when both of those prizes were a pipedream for the Reds.

Jurgen Klopp had made the Merseyside outfit competitive again, but a long wait for major silverware was being taken in.

Salah helped to get Liverpool back into the winners’ enclosure, with his remarkable goal return seeing a European crown secured in 2019.

That has been followed by a first league title win for 30 years, with the Reds finishing 18 points ahead of second-placed Manchester City.

Salah claims that was part of the plan from the moment he returned to England, with the 28-year-old forward telling Liverpool’s ‘Champions’ series: “Always when people asked me what you prefer, Premier League or Champions League? I always say both - thankfully we’ve got both. That’s great.

“It [winning the league this season] feels great… It’s great, it’s unbelievable. Since I came here I said I wanted to win the Premier League with this club. What I’m seeing from the fans and the people here is unbelievable, I’m really happy and enjoying it.”

Salah added on the disappointment of missing out on the Premier League title in 2019 proving to be a catalyst for Liverpool’s record-setting efforts this season: “OK, first of all, it’s great to win the Champions League because it’s still the Champions League - wow, what an achievement for the team.

“Then, losing the Premier League with one point is also kind of disappointing, but if you see how many points we got in the season, and how we played, we were also proud of ourselves. But it’s kind of disappointing because we lost in the end. But the good thing is that we fought back and we won it.”

Liverpool were also able to use the heartache of suffering a Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid in 2018 as added motivation in their pursuit of top honours.

“I’m sure, yeah,” Salah said. “It gave us more confidence. 

“Imagine we lost the Champions League for the second time, the second year in a row and lost the Premier League with one point difference… you’re going to be disappointed. But it gave us more confidence.”

Mesut Ozil will be “bored” stuck on the bench at Arsenal, says Charlie Nicholas, with the World Cup winner expected to push for a move elsewhere despite claims that he intends to stay put and see out a “ridiculous” contract.

The German playmaker’s representatives have suggested that his deal, which has 12 months left to run, will be honoured. If that is to be the case, then Ozil will become a free agent in the summer of 2021.

It is, however, likely that he will find himself stuck in the shadows at Emirates Stadium if he chooses to stick around, with manager Mikel Arteta having frozen him out of his plans.

Nicholas believes that will edge Ozil towards the exit, saying the 31-year-old is still ambitious enough to want regular game time despite being in a position where he could down tools and collect a lucrative salary.

The former Arsenal forward told Sky Sports: "The wages that Ozil has been getting has been ridiculous, but that's not Ozil's fault. That's down to the committee and the board who gave him the money and said, 'we think you are well worth this value'. I don't know how they got to that assumption.

"This is a fabulously talented footballer with a brilliant CV at Real Madrid and at national level, we know that, but Arsenal have struggled to get consistent performances out of Ozil. He doesn't offer the same guarantee as [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang.

"Ozil has made so much money and he will be bored. He will be frustrated and fed up, and when he gets the right deal he will eventually move on. He won't be sitting around with his little umbrella in the sunshine for much longer as it's a habit of life! He wants to go and play."

Ozil has been restricted to just 23 appearances across all competitions in the 2019-20 campaign.

He has seen no competitive minutes since football returned in mid-June from a coronavirus-enforced break and can expect to find himself on the fringes of Arteta’s plans once again when Arsenal face Chelsea in the FA Cup final on Saturday.

Former Kenya international Innocent Mutiso has challenged Nigeria to step in fast and convince Arsenal youngster Bukayo Saka to play for them at senior level.

The 18-year-old has been impressive for the Gunners this season and has stepped up wherever required - be it defensively or in attack.

In 27 Premier League appearances, the youngster has managed to get five assists and a goal.

Having turned out for England's junior sides, the player is still eligible to play for the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the former Mathare United forward has opined on how the West Africa country can convince the player to play for them.

"Remember, Saka is on record saying he is proud of his Nigerian heritage as both his parents came from there meaning he is open about playing for the African country as well," Mutiso told Goal on Friday.

"But Nigeria have to give him assurances of being involved in the first team just like they did to [Alex] Iwobi who has flourished since.

"Remember, in England, the competition is stiff as well, we have the likes of Jude Bellingham who just moved to [Borussia] Dortmund, we have Manchester United's Mason Greenwood and Jadon Sancho.

"Lest we forget, there are established players as well like Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling. Nigeria should capitalise on that and convince him to turn up for them."

The soft-speaking Mutiso has also explained how Super Eagles legends and current players can contribute to Saka's move to the West Africa giants.

"We have Nigeria legends who can play a vital role in bringing Saka home," Mutiso continued.

"Remember Augustine 'Jay-Jay' Okocha convinced Iwobi to play for Super Eagles and he can be used as well. We also have his peers like Samuel Chukwueze can also do the job, it is a matter of showing the player how much he is needed."

So what will Saka gain by playing for the three-time Africa Cup of Nations champions?

"Unconditional love by the fans is one thing he is assured of, it will be limitless as we have seen with Iwobi," Mutiso suggested.

"And he will also have a great influence on African players who play abroad to choose to play for their countries in Africa than in Europe. By doing this, they will help their teams challenge for top honours in the continent and the world as well."

Harambee Starlets striker Lilly Awuor has joined German side Borussia Pankow on a two-year contract.

A close source to Goal revealed the 23-year-old Starlet is expected to be part of the Verbandsliga outfit next season.

Awuor, who had previous trials with Swedish side Hammarby, was playing for the Tanzanian Women Premier League side Kigoma Sisterz.

The forward has also featured for Spedag, Kisumu Youth Olympic and Palos Ladies in Kenya before.

Awuor’s move is the latest one made by a Harambee Starlets player after Corazon Aquino joined Atletico Ourense of Portugal, Esse Akida is currently turning out for Besiktas in Turkey and Annette Kundu recently signed for Lakatamia FC in Cyprus.

Cyntia Shilwatso, after a stellar performance in the 2019 Cecafa Women Senior Challenge in Tanzania, also found herself a new club thereafter as he signed for Edf Logrono of Spain.

“Awuor is very happy to seal a dream move because that has always remained her prayer. She is truly looking forward to playing in Europe,” the source who did not want to be named, told Goal.

Meanwhile, Mathare Goalkeeper Union Academy founder Levi Ojuok has revealed the desire to develop world-class goalkeepers through the institution.

Ojuok is training youngsters in Mathare Estate and the coronavirus school break has provided him with an opportunity to impart goalkeeping skills to the students.

“This coronavirus period has left many young people feeling idle and prone to all kinds of evil,” Ojuok told The Star.

“This is a vision that I have had for a long time although this period hastened the process of starting this academy.

“Our training is geared towards creating the modern goalkeeper in the mould of Ederson of Manchester City and Ter Stegen of Barcelona."

One of the beneficiaries of the training programme, Joseph Otieno, explained what he has achieved since his enrolment.

“I have learnt a lot from these sessions because I am now a better goalkeeper than before. The coaches have taught me a lot on working on my reflexes, shot-stopping skills and even using my feet,” Otieno said.

“I just love goalkeeping a lot because everyone in the team depends on you to bail out the team when the opposition is attacking. I am confident that with what I have learnt here, I am going far.”

The academy holds its training sessions in the morning at Mathare 4A Primary School playgrounds.

Both girls and boys are admitted and they have been divided into two groups, with one taking care of students below the age of 12 while the second group consists of players from the age of 18 to 22.

The Nedbank Cup semi-finals will get the 2019-20 PSL season back underway on August 8, and according to the league, both matches will be played at the venue on the same day. 

In a statement released on Friday, the league confirmed that both Mamelodi Sundowns and Bidvest Wits, as well as Bloemfontein Celtic and Baroka, will play at Orlando Stadium. 

According to the statement, the match between Celtic and Baroka will kick off at 14:00 with Sundowns and Wits battling each other for a place in the final at 19:00. 

This is a 'neutral' venue for all the four remaining teams as they were earlier this week placed at different stadiums for the remainder of the season. 

Sundowns were allocated the Dobsonville Stadium as their new venue for home matches while Wits will play their home league matches at FNB Stadium.

Celtic will be based at Tuks Stadium in Tshwane with Baroka adopting the Bidvest Stadium as their home for the next four weeks. 

The Brazilians had a bumpy ride on their way to the semi-finals - beating SuperSport United 1-0 in the Last 32 and brushing aside VUT 2-0 in the Round of 16. 

Pitso Mosimane's men needed a Keletso Makgalwa goal in extra time to edge out Highlands Park in the quarter-finals just before the season was suspended. 

Wits, on the other hand, ousted Orlando Pirates on penalties in the Round of 32 before easing past Chippa United in the Last 16. 

The Students would then brush aside Real Kings 4-0 to set up a semi-final date with Sundowns.

Bloem Celtic beat AmaZulu, Maritzburg United and TS Sporting to book their place in the last four - and they achieved that feat with Lehlohonolo Seema as their head coach.

Seema has since left the club to join Chippa United, and Phunya Sele Sele are now under the stewardship of John Maduka. 

Lastly, Baroka had to grind results to be where they are in this year's competition.

They beat Polokwane City 1-0 in the Last 32 and needed penalties to oust Hungry Lions after a 2-2 draw before narrowly beating provincial rivals Black Leopards 1-0 in the quarter-finals.    

Willy Caballero is hoping to see the transfer talk surrounding Kepa Arrizabalaga die down, allowing the most expensive goalkeeper in world football to prove his worth at Chelsea.

Speculation is mounting regarding a move elsewhere for Kepa in the next transfer window.

Even if he were to stay put, Frank Lampard is said to be in the market for a new No.1 that would slot into the Blues side ahead of a Spain international.

Fresh faces would also nudge Caballero down the pecking order, with the 38-year-old having committed to another 12 months at Stamford Bridge.

The experienced Argentine has no issue with that, having seen more game time that he expected to this season.

Lampard’s decision to drop Kepa has opened a first-team door and fanned the transfer flames, but Caballero believes a highly-rated 25-year-old should be given a chance to prove his worth – especially as Chelsea invested a record-setting £71 million ($93m) in his current ability and future potential.

“Of course I hope he stays,” Caballero said in the Express on the exit rumours.

“I have known him for two years. Last season was very good for him. This season there were some other things happening, but last year was fantastic. He is still the No.1 goalkeeper for Spain, and is a great goalkeeper.

“We have a great relationship - first of all because we speak the same language.

“We work together well in training. It was the second time that Frank left him out, but in terms of our relationship he has been very good.

“He has been behind me, helped me with everything in the games that I have played.

“That’s all I can say about Kepa. He has shown me and all of us a great face, even in the worst moments for him. That is so professional from him.

“The way that he worked during those weeks and in the last week, he was excellent.”

Caballero was selected between the sticks for Chelsea’s final Premier League game of 2019-20, as they defeated Wolves and booked Champions League qualification through a top-four finish.

He has also been their go-to option in the FA Cup this season and will be hoping to retain that standing for a final date with London rivals Arsenal at Wembley on Saturday.

Dayot Upamecano has signed a contract extension at RB Leipzig, with the agreeing of fresh terms through to 2023 bringing an end to the rumours linking him with Arsenal.

The highly-rated 21-year-old has been attracting admiring glances from leading sides across Europe.

At one stage it appeared to be only a matter of time before his potential was lured to pastures new.

That may still be the case, but Leipzig have moved to ensure that Upamecano will not easily be prised from their clutches.

A talented French centre-half is now tied to them for another three years, with the intention being for the Bundesliga outfit to be the ones to benefit from his development.

Upamecano has been on Leipzig’s books since January 2017, when he completed a switch from Red Bull Salzburg.

He has taken in 111 appearances for the ambitious German club, with his stock rising considerably across those outings.

Arsenal were among those reportedly ready to test Leipzig’s resolve with a big-money bid in the current transfer window.

Bayern Munich were also said to be keen on keeping Upamecano in the Bundesliga, with his previous deal including a €60 million (£54m/$68m) release clause.

Leipzig conceded in June that they may have to sanction a sale, as they could not afford to let a prized asset run down the final 12 months of his contract.

Sporting director Oliver Mintzlaff told Bild: "'Upa' is an extremely important player for us and one of the most sought-after talents in Europe.

"And we can assure that we have a clear understanding with him and his agent he won't leave us on a free. We can't afford that as a club.

"There are only two options: prolong or leave. I am sure we'll soon find out in which direction it's going."

Leipzig have talked Upamecano into prolonging and will be hoping to see him aid their efforts across multiple fronts in 2020-21.

Julian Nagelsmann’s side finished in third spot this season, 16 points adrift of Bayern Munich, but will be looking to close that gap next term while also embarking on another Champions League adventure.

They remain in that competition for 2019-20, with a quarter-final clash with Atletico Madrid awaiting them on Portuguese soil in August.