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Journalist Steve Kay says that Arsenal are ‘not aware’ of any contact that has taken place to sign RB Salzburg striker Noah Okafor this summer.

The Lowdown: Registered interest…

It has recently been reported that Arsenal have registered their interest in signing Okafor, who is valued at £25m by Salzburg.

However, North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur are also thought to be interested in his signature, along with West Ham United, AC Milan and Inter Milan.

The Latest: No contact made

Taking to Twitter, Kay has since shared that ‘sources’ have told him that the Gunners are ‘not aware’ of any contact taking place over Okafor, while RB Leipzig have also shown an ‘interest’ in him:

“According to some reports Arsenal are showing interest in signing the RB Salzburg striker Noah Okafor.

“Sources are telling me close to the club that they are not aware of any contact taking place.

“RB Leipzig have shown some recent interest in signing the young striker.”

The Verdict: Get it done!

At just 22 years of age, Okafor is a big talent, having scored 34 goals and made a further 23 assists in 108 games in total over all competitions for Salzburg, with 12 goal contributions coming so far this season (Transfermarkt).

He has also been capped 12 times by Switzerland, scoring twice and producing one assist (Transfermarkt), and is capable of playing anywhere across the forward line.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig describes Okafor as a ‘superb’ player who is ‘powerful’ and ‘agile’ with ‘electric’ pace and ‘super’ technique, as he ranks in the 90th percentile of all forwards in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and in the 85th for successful take-ons per game (FBRef).

Given Arsenal’s injuries in forward areas this term, with the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah all having faced extended periods out, Okafor would be a smart signing to provide cover, and eventually challenge for a regular starting spot.

Just a year on from Arsenal's history-making invincibles campaign, a fresh-faced 17-year-old called Alex Song impressed then-manager Arsene Wenger enough to earn a professional contract at the club but what has happened to him in recent times?

What happened to Alex Song?

Signing initially on loan from SC Bastia, the young midfielder registered five appearances in the Premier League before the Gunners pulled the trigger on signing him permanently on a long-term deal, costing around £1m in June 2006.

After a loan spell to former top-flight outfit Charlton Athletic and a string of starts in the League Cup, the Cameroon powerhouse would finally make his breakthrough in 2008/09. Then aged 21, he featured 48 times across all competitions and emerged as the perfect complement to Cesc Fabregas in the heart of the engine room.

By 2011/12, the Spaniard departed to his boyhood club FC Barcelona, leaving a creative void behind, which saw Song then step up to provide more playmaking responsibility alongside Aaron Ramsey. He ended that campaign with 11 top-flight assists in 34 games. It saw him finish in second place as the Gunners' player of the season by the fanbase but as was often the case, such exploits saw some of Europe's biggest teams come calling.

In August 2012, the then 24-year-old signed for the aforementioned Catalan giants in a £15m deal, becoming their second major signing of the window after left-back Jordi Alba and once again linking up with former his former teammate, Fabregas.

Transfermarkt actually valued Song at around £25m just a few months before his departure, so perhaps Wenger did not win the boardroom battle, but he would go onto be proven correct, in the end.

Song struggled to garner the same sort of minutes in Spain but did admit publicly that his reasons for joining were purely financially motivated. When he did play, it was usually out of position at centre-back, meaning he could never replicate the creative form he displayed in his final swansong at the Emirates Stadium.

A couple of loan spells at West Ham United followed before his uninspiring career took him to Russia to play for Rubin Kazan. Whilst training at London Colney, Swiss Super League outfit Sion then took a punt on him in 2018 but by 2020, his time there was cut short as he was one of nine players unwilling to take a pay cut during the coronavirus pandemic.

Where is Alex Song now?

The ex-Gunners star, now in his mid-30s, has landed in the Republic of Djibouti, where he plies his trade for Arta Solar 7.

In his very first season back in his home continent, Song guided the team to their first-ever league title and even helped them retain it the following campaign.

He remains at Arta Solar 7, whose ground holds up to 20,000, which is nearly 2% of the country's population. Off the pitch, the 35-year-old has multiple business interests, ranging from his own construction company and fashion label.

Given how his career went so drastically downhill after leaving Arsenal, it's fair to suggest that he made a massive mistake in chasing the money as that final campaign in the red and white of Woolwich London could have catapulted his name into contention to at least be considered a potential world-class midfielder.

"Song is amazing because he came as a centre-back, becomes a defensive midfielder, and now he plays like a striker," Wenger once lauded.

Oh, how things could have been very, very different for Song and Arsenal, but given how things turned out in the end, it's fair to suggest that the Frenchman was right to sell his bustling prodigy for just £15m in 2012.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the relationship between Brendan Rodgers and Leicester City has not been great since the summer.

What's the latest on Brendan Rodgers and Leicester?

Over the weekend, following a Premier League defeat away at Crystal Palace, the Foxes decided to part ways with their manager.

Indeed, in an official statement, the club said they had reached a “mutual agreement” with Rodgers for him to depart after four years in charge.

The news comes as no great surprise. After all, that loss against Palace left Leicester 19th in the division on 25 points after 28 games.

Even so, despite all their recent issues, it seems as though the problems began to mount up behind the scenes during the summer transfer window.

When speaking about it all on the House of Champions: A CBS Soccer Podcast, Romano explained that Wesley Fofana's move to Chelsea left Rodgers with doubts about what direction the club were heading in.

He said (12:00): "There was this kind of feeling already. In the summer, maybe you remember about the situation of Fofana. When they decided to sell for Fofana to Chelsea, that was not exactly what he wanted. Not about selling the player, but the strategy

"Youri Tielemans is out of contract. [James] Maddison who is attracting a lot of interest and it is not going to be easy for Leicester to keep him in the summer.

"So it's about the whole project and this is why the situation between Rogers and Leicester was not great. Of course on the pitch, but also off the pitch.

Why did Rodgers leave Leicester?

The 50-year-old had a fair amount of success with the Foxes. After all, in the club statement announcing his departure, he is named "one of the most successful managers in the Club’s history".

It notes that he helped the club to their first FA Cup triumph in 2021, and subsequently also saw them lift the FA Community Shield while enjoying a run to their first European semi-final.

However, Rodgers clearly wasn't convinced by the long-term vision behind the scenes.

For instance, when Fofana was sold, he clearly wasn't that keen on letting the defender go, saying (via Leicester Mercury): “I was hoping he would (stay) because he's a top-class operator, and that’s what you want as a coach if you want to improve and develop. You hope he would be here."

And after that, he admitted that he was unsure how that money would be reinvested, adding: “There have been discussions but it’s certainly not going to be the whole fee

“I think there’s part of that that will go to Saint-Etienne as well, plus there's the situation that the club is in…"

While Chelsea paid £75m, a lot less than that has been spent on new arrivals since that deal. With that in mind, it's not hard to see why Rodgers had his doubt about the project.

Still, regardless of that, he wasn't getting the best out of the players he did have available to him and so it's no shock both parties have now agreed to go their separate ways.

Mikel Arteta looks as though he is planning ahead for next season as Arsenal have shown interest in Bayern Munich youngster Ryan Gravenberch.

What's the latest on Ryan Gravenberch to Arsenal?

According to Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, the Gunners are keeping an eye on his scenario at Munich with a view to making a move during the summer transfer window.

He said via Twitter: “Arsenal is monitoring him and his situation at Bayern! But no negotiations yet. Lot of competition with Ødegaard, Xhaka, Partey, Jorginho … but nevertheless: He could get more playing time there. Now all depends on Tuchel.”

He only joined the Bundesliga side last summer for a fee of €18.5m (£16m) and if Arsenal could land him for a similar price, it would be a wonderful bargain.

Could Ryan Gravenberch join Arsenal?

With Thomas Tuchel recently taking over at the club, much will depend on whether he wants him in his squad ahead of next season and Arteta will certainly be keeping an eye on this over the coming weeks.

The north Londoners have enjoyed mixed success recruiting from the Bundesliga in the past, notably bringing in the likes of Sokratis and Sead Kolasinac, however by luring the Dutchman to the club, they could repeat their Granit Xhaka masterclass.

The Switzerland international signed from Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2016 and although it took him a while to step up to the standard required, he has been magnificent under Arteta, especially this season.

The 30-year-old has registered ten goal contributions – five goals and five assists – so far in the league, while making 1.3 key passes and creating five big chances, vastly improving his attacking output.

Gravenberch occupies the same position as Xhaka and although his debut season in Germany hasn’t exactly gone to plan, his final campaign for Ajax was excellent and gave the continent a glimpse of his incredible talent.

The 20-year-old played 30 matches in the Eredivisie as Ajax won another league title, and he was instrumental, scoring twice, grabbing five assists and completing 1.1 key passes per game alongside creating six big chances, an indication of his offensive prowess from a central midfield position.

His maturity levels were excellent too, chipping in with the nitty-gritty side of the game by making two tackles per game and winning an impressive 58% of his total duels, so it’s no wonder Bayern came calling for his signature.

Dutch pundit Wim Kieft lauded Gravenberch as the “greatest talent in the Netherlands” and there is no doubt his potential is limitless. Thus, perhaps jumping to a European heavyweight so soon in his career was a slight misjudgment.

Arteta, therefore, could work his magic on a young player again to help the 6 foot 3 maestro live up to his immense potential. Should he do so, then the 20-year-old Dutchman could be the heir to Xhaka in the engine room.

Chelsea are set to have a second interview with Luis Enrique over the manager's job at Stamford Bridge, according to journalist Simon Phillips.

Who is favourite to take charge at Chelsea?

The Blues are currently working hard on finding their next permanent manager, with the appointment expected to be made in the summer, at the latest. Frank Lampard is currently in temporary charge, but three successive defeats against Wolves, Real Madrid and Brighton show that he is not the man to take the team forward in the long-term.

It has been a fairly chaotic season at Chelsea, with both Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter sacked since the campaign got underway, and it is vital that the club nail the next manager this time around, in order to get somewhere near the top of the Premier League again.

Enrique is seemingly one of the front-runners to take charge at Stamford Bridge, having already undergone one interview, although the likes of Julian Nagelsmann, Mauricio Pochettino and Jose Mourinho are all reportedly in the mix, too.

Could Enrique be the man to come in?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Phillips said that the 52-year-old is expected to have another interview soon, suggesting he remains a strong contender to be the next Chelsea boss:

"Julian Nagelsmann isn’t the only candidate that Chelsea are looking at. They’re also planning to bring Luis Enrique back in for a second interview. But as well as those two, there are up to seven more candidates that Chelsea are considering right now.”

Enrique certainly has the credentials to be an impressive appointment by Chelsea this summer, having tasted Champions League glory in charge of Barcelona back in 2015, as well as winning back-to-back La Liga titles with them in 2015 and 2016.

Granted, his spell as Spain manager didn't end well, with elimination at the hands of Morocco at the 2022 World Cup, but he is a proven winner who will be hungry to succeed at Stamford Bridge.

Whether Enrique is the best possible option for Chelsea is debatable, with Nagelsmann arguably Europe's most exciting young manager right now, but the German lacks the Spaniard's experience when it comes to handling top players with big egos, of which there are arguably plenty at Stamford Bridge currently.

That fact that a second interview looks likely certainly suggests that Todd Boehly considers Enrique a strong option and it would be an appointment that could prove to be inspired.

Wolverhampton Wanderers took a massive step towards Premier League survival as they secured a narrow victory over Crystal Palace to move nine points clear of the relegation zone.

It was a tight and scrappy win for the Midlands outfit as a calamitous own goal from Joachim Anderson within the opening five minutes and a late Ruben Neves penalty was enough to decide this encounter.

This means that Julen Lopetegui’s men have now taken ten points from the last 15 available and condemned Roy Hodgson to his first defeat since his return to the Eagles.

The south London club largely dominated periods of the second half, as they had 59% possession and 13 shots, but Wolves held firm to secure their third clean sheet in four games.

One player at the heart of the homes side’s sturdy defence and an orchestrator of their attacks was Neves, who produced a vintage display from central midfield.

How did Ruben Neves play against Crystal Palace?

The captain was unable to feature in the club’s last two games at Molineux when Chelsea and Brentford were the visitors. Many expected the Portuguese to be reinstated for Wolves’ Premier League outing at Leicester, but he surprisingly started on the bench as the Wanderers suffered a damaging defeat at their rivals.

Lopetegui didn’t make the same mistake against Palace last night and the midfielder was at his imperious and devastating best. It was the complete performance from the former Porto man, who was simply everywhere.

The skipper protected his defence impeccably as he won eight duels in total – seven of which were on the ground – made two clearances, four interceptions, and four tackles, as per Sofascore, as Wolves secured their sixth victory in eight home games.

The £50k-per-week man also controlled the tempo and dictated the control of the game as he registered 76 touches, two key passes, two accurate crosses, ten accurate long balls, and a 78% pass completion rate, via Sofascore.

This magnificent showing earned the player a monstrous 8.8 rating, the highest of any player on the pitch.

This has been the tale of Wolves’ season as Neves has the biggest average rating of the squad across the whole campaign (7.02), according to WhoScored.

It was another pivotal reminder that the club need to do their absolute utmost to keep the 39-cap international, whose performance was described as “top class” by Statman Dave.

A last-minute penalty rounded off a fantastic Tuesday evening for the Midlands club as Neves sent the Molineux faithful home rocking.

Liverpool are in contact with the agents of Valencia midfielder Yunus Musah regarding a move to the Premier League, according to reports.

What's the latest on Musah to Liverpool?

The United States international has so far made 100 senior appearances at the Mestalla Stadium, and despite his contract not expiring for another three years, the fact that Voro’s side find themselves as a shock relegation candidate means he could want to move elsewhere this summer.

The La Liga star made a name for himself at the World Cup after playing 345 minutes out of a possible 360, helping his nation make it all the way to the last 16 of the tournament, and it wasn’t long before his performances in Qatar caught the eye of Jurgen Klopp.

The Reds reportedly registered an initial interest in signing the 20-year-old back in December, and whilst a deal failed to materialise in the January window, it appears that FSG are still weighing up a move at the end of the season.

According to 90min, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal are all “in contact” with Musah’s representatives, whilst Newcastle United and Brighton and Hove Albion have also “joined the list of interested parties”. Atletico Madrid are “admirers”, alongside Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt and Wolfsburg who additionally “appreciate” him.

Valencia are “bracing themselves” for attention in the months ahead with talks over a new deal having yet failed to reach an agreement, and it’s stated that the midfielder is “ready” to look elsewhere with the ongoing issues at his current club. The New York native does have a €100m (£88m) release clause included in his terms, but it’s claimed that the Spanish giants would “not be able to reject” any kind of sizable offer put in front of them.

Should Liverpool make an offer for Musah?

Liverpool have clearly been long-term admirers of Musah, who has been dubbed the “real deal” by CBS editor Ives Galarcep, so they should definitely consider submitting a bid should they feel he’s available in the summer.

The Puma-sponsored ace has scored five goals and provided three assists during his senior time at Valencia, as per Transfermarkt, and ranks in the 98th percentile for progressive carries by players in his position, so is constantly looking to push forward and make a positive impact in the final third.

Finally, Musah would bring excellent versatility to Merseyside having operated in nine various positions since the start of his career, including everywhere across the midfield, so he’d be an exciting acquisition for Klopp should he put pen to paper at Anfield.

Aston Villa are looking to sign Borussia Monchengladbach forward Marcus Thuram when he becomes a free agent this summer.

What’s the latest transfer news on Villa and Thuram?

Thuram has enjoyed a fine season with the Bundesliga side, scoring 16 times and registering six assists in 30 appearances. It has been confirmed that the France international will leave Monchengladbach at the end of the current campaign, though, with Villa linked with securing a transfer earlier in the year.

A new update has now emerged, and it looks as if Unai Emery’s side are still in the race for the 25-year-old’s signature. Sport Witness relayed an update from Calciomercato regarding Thuram’s future in the last 48 hours. They said that the forward is ‘looking for a project in which he can play a leading role’ at his next club.

Villa Park is named as a possible destination for Thuram alongside Premier League rivals Chelsea and Newcastle as well as Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich.

Thuram and Watkins in attack?

It appears as if Emery’s side are on the hunt for a new forward to potentially partner Ollie Watkins next season, with Brentford’s Ivan Toney another name to be linked with a move to the Midlands in recent days.

Thuram, described as 'world-class' by Wolfsburg sporting director Marcel Schafer, could be a shrewd signing, though, especially as he wouldn’t command a transfer fee and has actually outscored Watkins during the current campaign.

The player can turn out anywhere across the front three so would offer a versatile attacking option and is valued at a whopping €32m by Transfermarkt, showing how from a business perspective a free transfer could be a smart move.

It looks as if Villa may need to pip a number of big clubs to Thuram’s services, but if they can secure European football in the final Premier League fixtures, it could help them in their pursuit of the forward.

Hamish Marshall remembers last year’s Royal London Cup final at Lord’s, where Gloucestershire nicked a six-run victory against Surrey, as “one of the best days of cricket” he’s experienced but knows that it will be a tall order to defended the title this

Andrew McGlashan03-Jun-2016Hamish Marshall remembers last year’s Royal London Cup final at Lord’s, where Gloucestershire clinched a six-run victory against Surrey, as “one of the best days of cricket” he’s experienced but knows that it will be a tall order to defend the title this season.The title was Gloucestershire’s first piece of silverware since 2004 and was secured in tension-filled scenes after Surrey had started the last over needing seven off six balls with 17-year-old Sam Curran playing a fine hand. But Curran fell to the first ball of the last over and two deliveries later Gareth Batty found deep midwicket.”I remember I could feel my heart beating, thinking we were so close,” Marshall told ESPNcricinfo. “I was very nervous but David Payne had been bowling well for us so confident in him. When that catch went down Benny Howell’s throat I thought we had a really good chance. Then Jack [Taylor] took that catch – I didn’t know what I should do – I just chased the other lads. One of the best days of cricket I’ve experienced.”A man on the opposition that day, Jason Roy, remembered being left astonished as to what had happened after Surrey had subsided from 143 for 2, with Kumar Sangakkara in control before clubbing to mid-on, to being left with the last-over scramble.”Heartache. It was crazy,” Roy said. “It was one of those days when you walked off the pitch and said ‘what the hell has just happened?’ But do you know what, it was great for the game, great for Gloucestershire, they played well and were the better team on the day and that is what sport is all about.”Recalling the team’s progress through the tournament – which was anchored by Michael Klinger’s 531 runs at 106.20 before a duck in the final – Marshall picked out a run chase early in the competition against Derbyshire where the team felt events could be going their way. They needed 20 off the last over from Chesney Hughes, who bowled a no-ball off what should have been the final delivery – for having too many fielders on the leg side – and the next ball was dispatched for the match-winning boundary by Howell.”We needed 60 off four overs, then there was the no-ball. Some things went our way, but guys played good cricket,” Marshall said. “Michael was outstanding and the guys feed off that. Our two spinners, Tom Smith and Jack Taylor, played really well – Jack with the bat as well – guys played good cricket. Although Michael was outstanding others played really important roles.”Marshall knows, though, that Gloucestershire will need to keep improving to have a chance of retaining their title – and have been hit by the blow of the Man of the Match from the final, Taylor, being suspended for a suspect action – but they will trust in the methods that proved successful for them last summer.”As a group we’ll stick to what worked for us last year. Hopefully guys will have improved over the winter, but winning last year will give us a lot of confidence. But we know teams will be after us, and they’ll know us a little bit better. Like last year we’ll need a lot of guys in good nick.”As proud sponsors of the One Day Cup, Royal London is giving away match tickets to see the action live. Visit royallondoncricket.com to enter.

Tottenham Hotspur legend Ricky Villa has backed Mauricio Pochettino to sidestep advances from Chelsea to complete a dramatic return to his former club Spurs.

What's the latest manager news involving Tottenham Hotspur?

Tottenham have been involved in a drawn-out process to find a permanent successor to Antonio Conte, with several managers having been touted for the role.

Former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann has held discussions with the Spurs' hierarchy; however, discussions look to have hit a 'stumbling block' over uncertainty surrounding the sporting director position vacated by Fabio Paratici, as per The Telegraph.

Other candidates have also emerged, such as Burnley manager Vincent Kompany, Feyenoord's Arne Slot and former Leicester City head coach Brendan Rodgers, as cited by Football London.

Nevertheless, Villa has told talkSPORT that Pochettino should be the number one contender for the role and admitted he will meet with him next week amid his links to the Chelsea vacancy:

"We need Pochettino back into the team."

“It’s not my decision. It’s the decision of the chairman [Daniel Levy]. I meet next week [with] Pochettino and we see what [will] happen. If he’s going to Chelsea or waiting for the club.”

Would Mauricio Pochettino be a good hire by Tottenham Hotspur?

Mauricio Pochettino’s time in north London did not bring the club the trophies which they crave, however, it did bring an impressive level of consistency.

The Argentine was able to lead Spurs to four top-four finishes across his five full campaigns in charge of the Lilywhites (via Transfermarkt).

This is something which has not been easy for the managers who have followed since his departure with only one Champions League finish in the four seasons since his departure – presuming they don’t pull off a miracle in the final weeks.

Although Spurs fans will want the club to bring an end to their trophy drought, returning to Champions League football will be a key priority for the club.

Seeing Pochettino return to N17 could also see a number of the club’s young prospects offered an opportunity which has not been the case under the likes of Antonio Conte.

Djed Spence fell victim to the Italian’s strict philosophy but the potential return of Pochettino could possibly see the Englishman play a role at Spurs ahead of next season.

However, in potentially bringing Pochettino back, Daniel Levy would have to swallow a great deal of pride given he only sacked the Argentine a few years ago.