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Kai Havertz has the creativity to succeed in the Premier League, according to Lukas Podolski, but the ex-Germany international says the Chelsea target still has a long way to go to thrive at the top of English football.

The 21-year-old is at the top of the Blues' wish list as Frank Lampard looks to bolster his young squad following a top-four finish and an FA Cup final appearance last season.

Havertz has yielded prolific results for Leverkusen since he made his senior debut in 2016, becoming the youngest player to clock up 100 games in the Bundesliga and having netted 46 goals across all competitions, with a string of caps for Joachim Low's national side also duly picked up since 2018.

Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro admitted that the attacking midfielder was ready to "make the next step" in his career earlier this week and Chelsea have long been among the favourites to secure his services.

Asked on whether he feels Havertz can further bolster his reputation with a move to English football, former Arsenal man Podolski highlighted both the player's strengths and weaknesses and how his own experiences informed his opinion of the Premier League — but not before cracking wise about his former club's rivalry with Leverkusen.

"Why are you asking me about a Leverkusen player?" the 35-year-old joked to The Athletic. "I’m [a] Cologne [man] and they are our rivals along with Gladbach and Dusseldorf.

"[But] he’s a great talent. On the ball he is so creative, but he’s still young — let’s see if he can fit into the Premier League. I think he is still missing some strength and power, but he should taste the drink of the Premier League and see if he likes it.

"I did, but I knew I would like it. I’m strong, I have a good shot, I’m from the street, I’m like a pitbull. I knew I could deal with the Premier League with the long balls, the physical side and the referees. It was perfect for me and we had a good team and atmosphere at Arsenal."

Podolski played in the Gunners' 2014 FA Cup final victory over Hull City at Wembley, just weeks before he helped his nation to World Cup glory in Brazil.

Ghanaian defender Abdul Mumin believes he made the right decision by joining Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes.

The centre-back was announced as the latest acquisition of the Primeira Liga outfit, penning a four year deal.

He transferred as a free agent, having left Danish fold Nordsjaelland at the end of last season, and becomes the third Ghanaian at Guimaraes, joining Alhassan Wakaso and Joseph Amoah.

"Vitoria has a history of developing players, it is a club with a very high standard and that is why it is the ideal club for me and for me to continue to grow as a player," Mumin told Vitoria's official website.

“The years I spent in Denmark were very good, they gave me a lot of experience. I fulfilled the goals I had for myself and it was time to take a step forward. Vitoria is that step without a doubt, and I feel that I take it at the right moment, I am prepared.

"I spoke to Wakaso, who told me the best of this club. I expect a very good atmosphere, I felt this in the games I’ve seen from Vitoria."

Mumin is expected to meet his new teammates for the first time on Monday when Guimaraes begin pre-season preparations for the 2020-21 league season.

“I am looking forward [forward to the new season starting on Monday], I confess. I want to start as soon as possible, I feel it will be a great season for us," he continued.

“I am a central defender who likes to play. Having the ball is important to me and defensively I am strict, I know that this is essential in a great team."

Mumin left Ghanaian side Right to Dream Academy for associate club Nordsjaelland in 2016. In 2018, he was farmed out for a loan spell with Danish lower division side HB Koge, where he made 13 league outings.

Last season, he featured in 26 league matches for the Wild Tigers, starting 19 of the matches.

The 22-year-old has not been capped by Ghana, a status he will hope to change during his time with Vitoria. 

AmaZulu FC caretaker coach Ayanda Dlamini has stressed the importance of having Moeneeb Josephs in his technical team.

Joseph is currently serving as the third-choice goalkeeper and assistant coach under Dlamini at the KwaZulu-Natal giants 

The duo has been tasked with ensuring that AmaZulu retain their status in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) with head coach Jozef Vukusic having been placed on special leave since March.

Dlamini explained that he enjoys working with Josephs, who is the oldest player in the South African top-flight having celebrated his 40th birthday in May.

"We all know what kind of a person Moeneeb is, he is a good guy, always a crazy character. I'm very happy to work with him," Dlamini told the media.

Josephs is an accomplished player, having won the PSL title with both Bidvest Wits and Orlando Pirates, and he also played for Bafana Bafana at the 2010 Fifa World Cup finals.

Dlamini, who is a retired striker, revealed that the man nicknamed 'Slim Kat' (Clever Cat) has a good working relationship with the players, having joined the club from Wits before the start of the 2018/19 campaign.

"He is that guy who can get the best out of the players by talking to them, being around them and they understand him very well and like to work with him too," he added. 

"I think he is that guy I really enjoy working with and he is playing a really big role at AmaZulu."

Dlamini took charge of his second match as Usuthu interim coach on Saturday and the league encounter against Baroka FC ended in a goalless draw at Lucas Moripe Stadium.

Prior to the clash, the former Bloemfontein Celtic striker had guided AmaZulu to a surprise 1-0 win over PSL title contenders Kaizer Chiefs in March.

Usuthu are currently placed 14th on the league standings - a point above the relegation zone with five matches left this season.

The Durban-based side will be in action on Friday, August 21 when they lock horns with a Wits at the 2010 Fifa World Cup final venue, FNB Stadium.

Bernardo Silva has branded some Liverpool fans “pathetic” after they mocked Manchester City’s Champions League defeat on social media.

The Portugal midfielder could only watch from the substitutes' bench on Saturday as City suffered a shock 3-1 defeat by French side Lyon in the quarter-finals in Lisbon.

It caps a hugely disappointing few months for Pep Guardiola’s side, who finished 18 points behind Liverpool in the Premier League and were beaten by Arsenal in the FA Cup semi-final.

It means they end the 2019-20 campaign with just the Carabao Cup to their name, one year after winning the domestic treble.

With the season now over and thoughts already heading towards the new campaign, Silva posted a message to City supporters on Twitter  on Sunday afternoon.

"The 2019/2020 season has ended for us in a very disappointing way,” he wrote. “To all the fans, we’re sorry for this frustrating season. The only thing we can promise is that in 2020/2021 we’ll fight a lot to do much better and get back to winning important things for you guys.”

A number of City fans replied with messages of support, but he was also mocked by supporters of other teams, most notably Liverpool.

The two clubs have developed a rivalry over recent seasons after Liverpool knocked City out of the Champions League in 2018, before City pipped the Merseysiders to the title by just a point on the final day of the 2018-19 season.

Reds fans, though, were quick to remind Bernardo that the Premier League title is now back at Anfield after a 30-year wait, while they also lifted the Champions League for the sixth time in the club’s history last season — something City or Bernardo have never done.

Less than an hour after posting the original message, Bernardo hit back with a second tweet taking aim at Reds supporters: "And to all Liverpool fans that have nothing else to do than to come to a Man City player account, I’m also sorry for you but for the wrong reasons..pathetic.

"Go celebrate your titles, or try to find a partner, drink a beer with a friend, read a book..so many options!”

Regional league side Nebbi Central has maintained they have not sold defender Jerry Jakisa to Premier League side Onduparaka FC.

The Caterpillars announced they have acquired the services of Jakisa in a deal that will see him remain at the club until 2022, but Nebbi Central have now protested that announcement.

“Following Onduparaka’s confirmation of Jerry’s [Jakisa] alleged signing on their official social media platforms, we would like to clarify as follow,” Nebbi Central is quoted as saying by Sports Nation.

“As the player’s current club, we don’t know of any such deal and we have only come to learn about it on social media.

“We urge Onduparaka to act in a way that reflects their status as a professional entity.”

Nebbi Central have now demanded an apology from the Arua club before they enter into any talks concerning the future of Jakisa.

“We, therefore, demand an apology from Onduparaka for damaging our name before any round table discussion can be held,” the club’s statement added.

“The player in question will also be subjected to our internal disciplinary processes.”

According to Onduparaka, Jakisa signed a two-year deal and consequently became the second player they have brought on board in the ongoing transfer window.

Bonny Musema is the first player Onduparaka confirmed.

Jakisa previously played for Nyamityobora FC before he left in 2019 for Nebbi Central.

Onduparaka also have appointed head coach Viali Bainomugisha and he will be deputised by Wamboya Mubaraka, with Ibrahim Kongo taking charge of the goalkeeper coaching roles.

Hassan Muhamood has already left Onduparaka and Ezra Bida could join rivals Kyetume FC.

Meanwhile, the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) has released guidelines and a deadline for the registration of youth football academies.

The registration exercise is core to the strategic Fufa plan for the development and professionalising of football in Uganda.

According to a document signed by Fufa’s deputy CEO in charge of football, Decolas Kizza, professional clubs in the UPL and in Big League are expected to submit applications by August 21.

Academies owned by Fufa registered clubs will submit their prayers directly while their private counterparts will first comply with Uganda Youth Football Association guidelines.

Registered Fufa academies will be allowed to conduct training, developing and organising football competitions comprising of young players from a minimum age of six years to 18 years.

The academies will be required to share data of their players in order to be registered in the Fufa master player database and each player issued with an identity unique number.

Former Cameroon forward Eugene Ekeke feels that ex-coach Paul Le Guen destabilised his squad by stripping Rigobert Song of the captain's armband and handing it over to Samuel Eto'o.

After taking over as Indomitable Lions coach in July 2009, Le Guen’s first major change in the team was appointing a new captain, ending Song’s long reign as leader of the players.

Song’s last major tournament wearing the Cameroon armband was the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Ghana, his fifth as skipper, before playing under the leadership of Eto’o at the 2010 Afcon and the Fifa World Cup the same year.

Ekeke feels discord between generations of Cameroon national teams has always existed but the crop that won the 2000 Olympics goal medal had more internal strife.

Although Song was not part of the team in Sydney, Ekeke mentions him as belonging to that generation of players whose cracks he says were widened by Le Guen’s captaincy switch.

“Everything can be sorted out and I think Samuel Eto’o has a big role to play in bringing peace. We are a family. If I have the chance to see him, I will tell him,” Ekeke told Radio Sport Info.

“There is this inter-generational conflict to settle but also these clashes between own teammates of the 2000 generation. Sincerely, we must settle all that. The removal of the armband from Rigobert Song [distabilised Cameroon].

“This was the root of all evil. Paul Le Guen deeply destabilised this generation because Samuel Eto’o did not need an armband. In any case, we have to transcend all that and get back together.”

With Song retiring from international football in 2010, Eto’o went on to further captain Cameroon at the 2014 World Cup but just like his predecessor, he could not help the Indomitable Lions match the 1990 team that reached the quarter-finals of the global football tournament.

Ekeke was part of the history-making 1990 World Cup squad and feels that his generation deserves more recognition than the 2000 Olympics gold medallists.

“The 2000 generation brought a lot to Cameroon... This generation put Cameroon back on the African scene after a long crossing of the desert. But this generation must recognise that Italy 1990 was something else,” said Ekeke.

“In 1990, I repeat, the context was particular. It’s a fact, don’t pretend it’s not the truth! The 2000 generation was not in the same mood as us.”

Former AS Roma defender Mehdi Benatia has revealed he tried to influence Hakim Ziyech to join the Giallorossi but the Ajax player ultimately settled for Chelsea.

The 27-year-old Morocco international has been one of the most highly-rated players in the world thanks to his stunning performances for Ajax, part of which sent them to the Champions League semi-finals in 2018-19, seeing off the likes of European giants in Real Madrid and Juventus before bowing out to Tottenham Hotspur.

Ziyech will begin a new chapter in West London with Chelsea paying a reported €40 million for his services.

Before making the move to Stamford Bridge, Benatia had been in talks with Edin Dzeko and former Roma director and club icon Francesco Totti, in order to bring Ziyech to the Sadio Olimpico.

According to Benatia, Totti was willing to get a deal done but Roma chairman James Pallotta did not approve of it.

“I had tried to get him to come to Roma, and he would’ve run to join this club," Benatia told La Gazzetta dello Sport magazine Sportweek as per Football Italia.

“I spoke to Francesco Totti and Edin Dzeko, telling them that this is the man they want. As a director, Francesco did everything he could to get the deal concluded, but Pallotta said it would be ‘an excessive expense’ and nothing ever came of it.”

Benatia also spoke of another high-rated Moroccan in Achraf Hakimi, who joined Inter Milan in a five-year deal worth €40 million from Real Madrid.

He spent the last two seasons at Borussia Dortmund and largely impressed, playing 73 times in all competitions, scoring 12 goals and providing 17 assists.

Benatia believes Hakimi can compete with Liverpool youngster Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is currently regarded as the best right-back in the world.

“Hakimi is probably the jewel in the crown of this generation of Moroccan players. He is already one of the five best wing-backs in Europe, while in a couple of years, he’ll be contending Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool for first place,” Benatia continued.

“Hakimi called me before he signed for Inter. I told him Italy was the best move he could possibly make.

“It was also perfect, as Inter will help him to grow tactically. Everyone wanted him, from PSG to Bayern Munich, but he can refine his talent and become a more complete player in Italy, especially with a coach like Antonio Conte.”

Benatia is presently on the books of Al-Duhail in Qatar and having played for three Italian clubs in Udinese, Roma and Juventus, the 33-year-old ex-Morocco captain has admitted that when his contract with the Doha-based team expires in January 2021, his best destination for a European return would be Italy again.

"In January my contract with Al-Duhail, the club in Qatar where I'm staying, expires. I could stay here, but also return to Europe and in this case, Italy would be my favourite destination,” he stated.

South Africa international Percy Tau made a dream start to life at his new club RSC Anderlecht. 

The 26-year-old forward scored for the Belgian football powerhouse as they secured a 3-1 victory over Sint-Truidense in a First Division A clash on Sunday evening.

Tau was on his competitive debut for the Purple and White having recently joined the club on a season-long loan deal from Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion.

The speedy player was introduced in the 64th minute with Anderlecht leading 2-0 against the Canaries inside an empty Lotto Park with First Division A matches being played behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic.

However, the visitors pulled one back through Belgium-born Congolese striker Nelson Balongo with two minutes left on the clock.

Tau had other ideas as the former Witbank Spurs player sealed the hosts' 3-1 win with a late goal in stoppage time.

DR Congo-born Landry Dimata and Bohdan Mykhaylichenko scored the other two goals for the nine-time Belgian Cup champions.

The victory took the Purple and White to the third spot on the league standings having accumulated four points from their first two matches this season.

Anderlecht decided to sign Tau after the team failed to qualify for this season's Uefa competitions having finished eighth on the 2019/20 First Division A standings.

The campaign had been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic and Tau's former team, Club Brugge were handed the league title.

Tau played 18 matches in the league for Brugge while on loan from Brighton, who signed him from Mamelodi Sundowns at the beginning of the 2018/19 season.

The left-footed player hit the back of the net three times and registered four assists for Brugge and he left the club with a league winners' medal.

Anderlecht, who are coached by Manchester City legend Vincent Kompany, will be hoping that Tau inspires them to their maiden league title since 2017.

The Purple and While are the most successful Belgian team having won a record 34 league trophies. 

Anderlecht are Tau's third Belgian club since he left Sundowns having also spent some time with Royale Union Saint-Gilloise on loan from Brighton during the 2018/19 campaign.

Premier Soccer League (PSL) action continued on Sunday afternoon in Johannesburg where the relegation-threatened Black Leopards welcomed Maritzburg United at FNB Stadium.

Ahead of this clash, Lidoda Duvha had their own internal problems where they recently parted ways with coach Allan Clark and star player Lesedi Kapinga, who joined Mamelodi Sundowns.

The two notable changes have left the club crippled and the fans are concerned especially looking at the fact they occupy the bottom of the table.

In the second clash of the day, Bloemfontein Celtic faced reigning MTN8 champions SuperSport United at Bidvest Stadium.

The two teams had contrasting ambitions where coach John Maduka was looking to build from their Nedbank Cup win over Baroka last weekend whilst chasing a spot in the top eight.

On the part of coach Kaitano Tembo, Matsatsantsa are aiming for a spot in the top three but facing a team that has already tasted action since the restart posed some challenges for the side.

Black Leopards 3-2 Maritzburg United

The two teams took time to go all out in their attacks as they spent the first 10 minutes measuring each other out at the 2010 Fifa World Cup hosting venue.

However, coach Morgan Shivambu’s troops were the first to threaten the final third when Edwin Gyimah saw his header bouncing off the crossbar, with goalkeeper Richard Ofori beaten.

The Venda-based club could broke the deadlock through Mwape Musonda's finish from close range, after capitalized from Ofori’s poor handling in the 20th minute.

Leopards doubled their lead in the 30th minute when Lifa Hlongwane benefitted from Musonda’s saved effort on the edge of the penalty area to easily pass the ball into an empty net.

However, Keagan Buchanan pulled one back for the Team of Choice four minutes later with a superb finish from a free-kick, beating keeper King Ndlovu on his right corner.

The Telkom Knockout Cup losing finalists managed to level the matters when Mxolisi Kunene unleashed a powerful shot that sailed into the roof of the net, beating the Lidoda Duvha keeper, to make the score 2-2.

Following their return from the interval, MultiChoice Diski product Tiklas Thutlwa saw his brilliant header beating the Ghana international keeper from the near post, making it 3-2 for Leopards.

Despite efforts to get a late goal from the KwaZulu-Natal side, Leopards held on to their slender lead and eventually walked away with the full three points.

Resulting from the win, Lidoda Duvha remain at the bottom with 23 points from 25 matches and the Team of Choice has 39 points and are sixth on the table.

SuperSport United 1-1 Bloemfontein Celtic

The two sides had a scrappy affair at the beginning with tackles flying high in the opening 10 minutes until the 18th minute when Bradley Grobler showed his intentions, but his strike hit the crossbar.

However, against the run of play, Celtic was the first to draw blood through defender Mzwanele Mahashe, who managed to finish his initial header from a corner kick in the 32nd minute, to make it 1-0 to the visitors.

After their return from the dressing room, Tembo introduced striker Thamsanqa Gabuza for Kudakwashe Mahachi and the change immediately yielded the desired results.

Gabuza won a set-piece in a promising area, leading to midfielder Teboho Mokoena’s brilliant free-kick which left goalkeeper Sipho Chaine stranded to make it 1-1.

There were no clear cut chances in the dying stages of the contest and it ended in a 1-1 draw.

In the end, both teams walked away with a point apiece, leaving the hosts with five games remaining and in fourth position with 41 points whilst the Free State-based club has 29 points at and are 11th after 24 games.

Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Keylor Navas looks almost certain to miss his side's Champions League semi-final against RB Leipzig on Tuesday after he again missed training with a hamstring injury.

The Costa Rica international pulled up injured in the closing stages of PSG’s dramatic 2-1 quarter-final win over Atalanta on Wednesday and had to be replaced by Sergio Rico.

A scan later revealed he had suffered a torn hamstring , meaning the 33-year-old faced a race against time if he was to participate in their last-four clash against Leipzig.

The PSG medical staff monitored Navas over the weekend but he played no part in their training session on Sunday afternoon. And with just 48 hours until kick-off in Lisbon, the former Real Madrid player now has precious little time to prove his fitness.

If Navas is sidelined, then that will mean a rare start for 26-year-old Rico.

The Spaniard has made just six appearances for the club this season after joining on a season-long loan from Sevilla, having spent the previous campaign on loan at Fulham.

Rico signed a short-term contract extension in June to cover the remaining weeks of the extended 2019-20 season, though it remains to be seen whether he will still be at the Parc des Princes next term.

Former Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye also missed Sunday's training session with a minor injury but the 30-year-old is expected to be fit for Tuesday’s game.

Thiago Silva is also expected to play despite picking up a minor hamstring injury during the Atalanta game, while Kylian Mbappe’s lively 30-minute cameo against the Serie A side suggests his recovery from an ankle injury is progressing well.

Thomas Tuchel’s side reached their first Champions League semi-final in 25 years in the most dramatic of circumstances against Atalanta.

Trailing 1-0 going into stoppage-time, the Ligue 1 side equalised through Marquinhos before substitute Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting converted Mbappe’s pass for a 93rd-minute winner.

It will be their first appearance in the last four of the competition since 1995, when they were beaten 3-0 on aggregate by AC Milan.

Mamelodi Sundowns assistant coach Manqoba Mngqithi says he is unsure if discussions over Highlands Park striker Peter Shalulile have been re-opened while he confirmed their previous interest in the talisman.

The veteran manager says because of the money that was demanded by the Lions of the North, they could not go ahead and pursue the Namibia international's signature.

On the other hand, the former Golden Arrows boss is confident the 27-year-old can be helpful in their Caf Champions League campaign because of his speed and ability to finish the chances.

“I can’t confirm that talks have been re-opened but what I know is that we wanted to sign him [Shalulile] before, we failed to sign him because of the transfer fee they wanted for him, it was a stumbling block,” Mngqithi told Isolezwe.

“All I can say is that if we get him now, he will be very helpful when we play in Africa, especially when we are facing the North African teams.

“His speed will make our attack quick and penetrate the defence of the North Africans with speed because they are not quick to track back when you attack them – he uses his speed very well.”  

Meanwhile, coach Owen Da Gama recently confirmed that the Brave Warriors international has also attracted interest from an unnamed Egyptian club.

On the other hand, Shalulile has been heavily linked with a move from the Lions of the North with Premier Soccer League (PSL) giants such as Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates reportedly linked with his signature.

While his future remains a subject of speculation, the club’s co-chairman Larry Brookstone was as quoted saying the marksman was at the same level as former Brazilians stars such as Percy Tau and Keagan Dolly in terms of monetary value.

Brookstone suggested they will not accept anything less than R30 million for the services of the striker who is gunning for the PSL top scorer award.

Surprisingly, Shalulile netted for the Tembisa-based club on Friday night against the reigning PSL champions, taking his tally to 13 goals so far.

With the Lions of the North pushing to qualify for the MTN8 next season and banking on Shalulile’s prowess in front of goal, it remains to be seen if they will eventually be able to release the Windhoek-born hitman.

Sivasspor have confirmed the signing of former Toulouse and Leeds United winger Max Gradel on a two-year deal.

The 32-year-old was released by Ligue 2 club Toulouse on Friday after both parties mutually agreed to end their three-year working relationship.

Gradel becomes the second Ivorian player in Riza Calimbay's team after compatriot Arouna Kone who recently penned an extension.

“Demir Group Sivasspor, which continues its transfer duties before the new season, signed a two-year contract with Max Gradel, who played for Toulouse in the French Ligue 1 last season. Max Gradel plays on the left wing,” the club statement read.

“We would like to welcome Max Gradel to Sivas and wish him success under the Demir Group Sivasspor jersey.”

He will be expected to play a part when Sivasspor make their maiden appearance in the Uefa Europa League group stage next season.

Gradel contributed three goals and two assists in Ligue 1 last campaign, but his efforts were not enough to save Toulouse from dropping to the second division.

The former Leicester City and Leeds United forward produced fine performances in England but his stint at Bournemouth between 2015 and 2017 was marred by injuries.

He managed just a goal in 25 Premier League appearances for the Cherries before he was loaned Toulouse for the 2017-18 season.

Following his impressive displays for the Violets, the Ivory Coast winger was handed a permanent contract in 2018 and he returned 28 goals in 68 matches across all competitions for the French side.

Internationally, the Abidjan-born star has played 77 games for the Ivory Coast with 12 goals to his name.

Gradel was part of the Elephants team that clinched the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations title in Equatorial Guinea and also made the Team of the Tournament after scoring two goals in five games.

The 32-year-old recently featured for Ivory Coast at the 2019 Afcon in Egypt where he played four games and scored a goal against Namibia in the group stage.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has sparked a flurry of speculation about his future at Arsenal after he took to social media with a teasing post on Sunday.

The Gabon striker, whose vital brace in this month's 2-1 victory over Chelsea in the FA Cup final handed the Gunners their first silverware for three years, has entered the final year of his contract at the club.

Arsenal have been keen for him to commit to a longer stay at the Emirates Stadium following an impressive string of performances since his arrival in 2018 from Borussia Dortmund.

Now, Aubameyang has set pulses racing in North London after he posted an image of an hourglass on Twitter, with the forward providing no additional context to his message.

The tweet however has seen further speculation mount that the 31-year-old has indeed put pen to paper on a new deal to keep him at Mikel Arteta's disposal ahead of a crucial 2020-21 campaign.

The Gunners have been in talks with their star over a new deal, with the club expected to offer a raise on the forward's current £200,000 ($262,000) per-week deal he signed in 2018.

With 22 goals in the Premier League last season - matching his Golden Boot-winning haul from the previous campaign and just one shy of the honour again the following term - Aubameyang has emerged as the cornerstone of the Gunners' attack in the post-Arsene Wenger era.

His prolific performances helped drive the club to a Europa League final in 2019, while his contributions at Wembley earlier this month earned him his first trophy at the club and a Man of the Match award to boot.

He won the club's Player of the Season award for his performances last term, during a tumultuous campaign that saw Unai Emery replaced by Arteta midway through the opening half of the campaign and the season subsequently disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Any reaffirmation of his commitment to the club would be seen as a key coup for the Gunners, who continue to shape their squad ahead of the new campaign, which will be Arteta's first full year at the helm.

They brought former Chelsea star Willian on the club on a free transfer on Friday, but a new deal for Aubameyang would likely trump any other incoming arrival in terms of importance to fans and supporters.

Cedric Bakambu scored his first goal of the season as Beijing Guoan played out a 3-3 draw with Qingdao Huanghai on Sunday afternoon.

Heading into the encounter, the Imperial Guards were the only team in the Chinese top-flight with a perfect record – having won all four games in the new season.

Nonetheless, they the failed to maintain their 100% record as they surrendered a three-goal lead to leave the Kunshan Stadium with a point.

Bakambu put Bruno Genesio’s men ahead in the 18 minutes after putting the ball beyond goalkeeper Shi Zhao.

Three minutes later, his team doubled their advantage as Alan converted Jonathan Viera’s assist, while John Hou Saether powered home the third to race to a massive lead.

Looking dead and buried, Qingdao Huanghai produced a surprising comeback to halt the visitors’ juggernaut.

First, Romain Alessandrini reduced the deficit in the 41st minute after beating goalkeeper Quanbo Guo from the penalty spot as one of Huanghai’s strikers was fouled inside the goal area.

On the stroke of half-time, Pablo Machin’s team made it two through Jianrong Zhu who made good use of Jagos Vukovic’s pass.

Needing a goal to avoid defeat, the hosts came out with guns blazing. Fortunately, comeback was complete in the 72nd minute as Alessandrini completed his brace.

No goals were scored in the last 18 minutes as the fixture ended on a no winner, no vanquished note.

Former Cameroon U23 star Joseph Minala was in action for 45 minutes for Qingdao Huanghai. The midfielder, who is on loan from Lazio, replaced Dong Wang early in the second half.

For Bakambu, the DR Congo international saw just 27 minutes of action as injury saw him leave the field for Yuning Zhang. The extent of the knock is yet to be disclosed by the Imperial Guards.

Despite the away draw, Beijing Guoan lead Group B of the Chinese Super League with 13 points from five outings. They welcome second-placed Shanghai SIPG to the Workers' Stadium in their next outing on Saturday.

Fifth-placed Huanghai, who have played out four consecutive draws, are guests of Frank Acheampong’s Tianjin Teda on the same day.

Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes has hailed his side’s performance after they dumped Manchester City out of the Champions League at the quarter final stage.

The Ligue 1 club opened the scoring through Maxwel Cornet and though they were pegged back in the second half, struck twice late on through substitute Moussa Dembele to seal their second trip to the semi-finals of the competition.

Despite having already accounted for Juventus by defeating the Italian side on the away goals rule after a 2-2 draw on aggregate, few gave OL a hope of ousting City and setting up a date with Bayern Munich on Wednesday.

“It’s incredible because we’re clearly the surprise team,” Lopes explained to RMC Sport in the match’s aftermath. “No-one expected us to be at that level. We’ve got the right to continue to dream, to believe in what we can do.”

The Lyon-born Portugal international, meanwhile, suggested that coach Rudi Garcia deserves credit for what the club has achieved.

“Our system is helping us enormously, playing with five at the back,” he said. “We knew that we would have chances and that we would have to take them. 

“We’re really happy to be a club like Manchester City. You play football to experience such matches. Now, we’re in the semi-finals and we’ll going to try to continue our nice little match. We’re going to rest well and calmly for the match against Bayern Munich.”

Meanwhile, goal hero Dembele said: “We knew it was going to be a complicated match against a big team. It's not easy when you're on the bench but I told myself that I was going to give my all. We made a promise to ourselves to give everything during the break and that's what we did.

“The mentality has changed in the squad. There is always sadness not to start but I tried to bring my stone to the building at the end. We’re going match by match. There is no point in seeing yourself too beautiful, too fast.”

Lyon’s previous trip to the semi-finals was in 2010, when they were knocked out 4-0 on aggregate by Bayern.

Uganda international defender Shafik Batambuze might be on his way out of Kenyan Premier League (KPL) side Gor Mahia.

K’Ogalo have seen several top players leave the team in the current transfer window; Boniface Omondi has joined Wazito FC while Joash Onyango has sealed a deal with Tanzania Mainland League champions Simba SC. Captain Kenneth Muguna is also reportedly on his way out with Angolan top-tier side Petro Atletico favourites to sign him.

Goalkeeper David Mapigano has also joined Azam FC while his counterpart Dickson Ambundo has completed a move to Dodoma Jiji FC.

“Gor Mahia have not yet talked to me,” Batambuze told Goal from his native Uganda on Sunday when he was asked about his status with the Kenyan side.

“Well, I am still under contract until November, and I cannot tell what the future holds. But no one has spoken to me over a contract extension. So, all I have to do is continue concentrating on the current deal. I cannot guarantee whether I will be in the KPL or somewhere else.

“Only God knows.”

In an earlier interview, Gor Mahia head coach explained why he has no power to stop players from leaving.

"What do you want me to do?" the tactician posed a question to Goal when asked about the mass exodus at the club.

"It is beyond me, the situation at this club is beyond me, I can do nothing, I don’t have anything to say, the players are looking after money, we play football to get money but it is not the case here, so how can you ask the players to stay?

"I will be a very bad coach if I try to convince the players to stay, they have families to take care of, they have bills to pay, they have other things to do with their money, so why stay in the club where you don’t get the money?

"It is a very bad situation now, some players are owed up to five months’ salaries, and this is not good at all, others have used the Fifa clause to demand for the exit, it means I have nothing to do, I cannot do anything to have them stay if they have decided to go, I wish them well.

"It happens in the other parts of the world not only at Gor Mahia, players leaving [though not because of finances], it happens even at Real Madrid, even at Barcelona but now the most important thing is how do we respond to the exodus, how do we fill the voids? That is the question for the management to answer.

"I have my targets ready but we can only negotiate with them when we have money to buy, I don’t want to negotiate with a player without money on the table, the club should show me the money and I will talk to my targets and bring them on board."

Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount has revealed the hurdles he faced in moving through the club's ranks following his breakthrough campaign at Stamford Bridge, including the departure of former Blues youngster Declan Rice when the pair were just teenagers.

The 21-year-old has seen his stock take a meteoric rise over the past 12 months under Frank Lampard, having established himself as a regular first-team player and an England international.

Yet, in reflecting on the ups and downs of a campaign that saw the Blues come away empty-handed, Mount has spoken  about his time in the club's youth team, where he played alongside close friend Rice before the latter was let go at the age of 14.

Born only four days apart, the pair got the chance to line up together at senior level for the first time when they were both called up for Three Lions duty by Gareth Southgate as England embarked on their European Championship qualification run.

Mount has admitted that Chelsea's choice to part ways with Rice over five years ago caught him out, but he never doubted the West Ham star would find a way to bounce back.

"When Dec left it did affect me a lot at the time," he told the Sunday Times. "But I knew what kind of player he was and what kind of person he was like, so I knew it wouldn’t stop him even if I didn’t agree with the way it happened.

"I knew as one of my closest friends that that wouldn’t be the end of him and he would work as hard as he could to get where he is.”

Mount himself nearly left of his own accord around the same time however, after his father Tony had questioned whether he would be able to progress through a notoriously tough youth system - but he was determined to prove himself in the shadow of Stamford Bridge.

“My dad always had questions because there weren’t many young players coming through," he added. "JT [John Terry] was the only one who really came through and had an unbelievable career.

"I always believed that I would make it to the first team through hard work and determination and I didn’t let anybody get in the way of my focus, even my dad when he had questions.

"I said I [was] going to stay here and work as hard as I can. I [believed] totally that I [could] make it to the first team and then go all the way.”

Mount was one of the key beneficiaries of incoming boss Lampard's squad prediciment at the start of the 2019-20 season, with the former Blues great facing a transfer ban as he picked up the reins left by Maurizio Sarri.

Having managed the midfielder during a loan spell at Derby County however, the 42-year-old had little hesitation in blooding him in the season-opening encounter with Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Mount has nothing but respect for Lampard, having worked with him for two years now, adding: “The gaffer has been there and done it. He knows when to put his arm around you and he knows when to tell you you need to improve on something or look at this in your game and see where you can do better.”

In regards to chasing their rivals both at home and abroad, Mount added that he believes Chelsea are not too far off the mark to succeed, noting: “There are things we have to work on to get better but we are on the right path, we are driven to win trophies, to really step up our game. We have shown this season that we are capable of doing that.”

Young Africans (Yanga SC) have emerged as the favourites to sign winger Sharaf Shaiboub in this transfer window.

The South Sudanese player is a free agent since rivals Simba SC are yet to renew his contract which concluded at the end of June.

Goal now understands, Yanga officials have approached the player over a possible transfer before the current window closes down at the end of August.

“Before the player left Dar es Salaam, Yanga officials talked to him as they wanted to know if he can play for them, Yanga have also tabled an offer to the player and I think a process to sign him is underway,” the source, who did not want to be named told Goal.

Shaiboub’s playing time at Simba was affected by the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic as he was held back home owing to the lockdown which was imposed by his country.

Simba struggled to secure the release of the player when the Mainland Premier League resumed on June 13 and hence by the time he was arriving in camp, Simba had already won the title and had four matches to play to end the season and which Shaiboub could not feature in.

Yanga are in a restructuring process having released 14 players and they have already signed seven among them defender Bakari Mwamnyeto from Coastal Union, Yassin Mustapha from Polisi Tanzania, Zawadi Mauya from Kagera Sugar, Abdallah Shaibu from LA Galaxy II, Waziri Junior from Mbao FC, Kibwana Shomari from Mtibwa Sugar and Farid Mussa from CD Tenerife in Spain.

On the foreign front, Yanga have been linked with Kenyans Jesse Were and John Makwatta, who play for Zesco United, Sven Yidah of Kariobangi Sharks, Erick Rutanga of Rayon Sports and Mukoko Tonombe of AS Vita Club from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Timu ya Wananchi had a disappointing campaign in the last season where they failed to reach the final of the FA Cup after losing to eventual winners and rivals Simba SC, and could only finish a distant second on the table.

Manchester United youngster Tahith Chong has joined Werder Bremen on a one-year loan, the Bundesliga outfit announced on Sunday.

The Dutch youth international's widely touted switch from Old Trafford was confirmed hours after the winger undertook training for the first time at Weserstadion alongside his new team.

The 20-year-old has made a dozen appearances across all competitions for the Red Devils this season, but by and large has been left on the fringes of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's plans as the Norwegian continues his overhaul at Carrington.

While other young starlets such as Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams flourished last term, Chong has mostly been restricted with half-a-dozen games in Europe the highlight of his campaign.

He will take no further part in his club's Europa League exploits however after Bremen confirmed that he had linked up with them for a year-long stay.

The Curacao-born player was expected to sign imminently after the club previously posted a picture of the player on their social media feeds on Sunday morning, confirming that he had joined their pre-season training sessions.

Chong's agent Erkan Alkan earlier indicated a move to mainland Europe was on the cards in August when he openly announced that the player desired to ply his trade in Germany, stating: "Tahith wants to go to the Bundesliga. We will talk about that with Manchester United."

Bremen sporting director Frank Baumann subsequently confirmed discussions over a move for Chong, while professing his frustrations with Alkan's conduct in pursuing a deal, adding: "I like to keep a low profile when it comes to something like this, but when the player's advisor communicates so aggressively, there is no point in denying our interest."

United meanwhile have their attention focused on their Europa League semi-final clash against Sevilla in Cologne later today, having reached the last four with an extra-time victory against Copenhagen thanks to Bruno Fernandes' spot-kick.

Victory would take manager Solskjaer to his first final since he took charge of the club, with one of Inter or Shakhtar Donetsk set to meet them there as the Red Devils hunt their first silverware since 2017.