JAY-JAY Okocha will look good playing against Arsenal. But just imagine how good he would look playing for them.

Sam Allardyce believes the only reason Jay-Jay's profile is not as high as the biggest players in the Premiership is because he plays for a smaller club.

Asked if he believed any of his players could have been nominated for the PFA's Player of the Year award, Allardyce laughed off such an outlandish suggestion.

"No, this is Bolton Wanderers," he said. "Just think what they would say about Jay-Jay Okocha if he played for Arsenal," is Allardyce's response.

It is an intriguing thought but both Allardyce and Wanderers' fans would prefer the African player of the year to continue turning on the style at "little" Bolton, where he still has a year to go on his contract.

One player whose Wanderers career is far less certain is Bernard Mendy.

The French Under-21 international will return to Paris St Germain when his season-long loan with Wanderers expires at the end of the season.

Allardyce wants to keep a player who has formed part of Wanderers' most effective strikeforce since moving to the right-sided support role behind striker Henrik Pedersen.

But his form may have alerted other clubs with Liverpool reported to have shown an interest.

Anfield boss Gerard Houllier has dismissed the speculation and Allardyce confirmed that the player told him he has spoken neither to Liverpool nor the French newspapers which started the rumours.

On Mendy's future Allardyce said: "Until we find out if we are going to be in the Premiership next season we cannot do anything about it.

"When we know where we will be playing next season we will move down the appropriate route with Bernard Mendy.

"Somebody has suggested Liverpool might be interested but he says he has not talked to Liverpool or the paper, where the article appeared about Liverpool tapping him up."