'He's a special player and few compare him with others' - Nani lauds Messi

Valencia attacker Nani talked up "special" Lionel Messi ahead of his side's meeting with Barcelona in La Liga on Saturday. 'Ronaldo injury an advantage for Portugal' Messi has returned from a groin injury in scintillating form, scoring four times in two games – including a hat-trick against Manchester City in the Champions League. And Nani knows the threat posed by the Barca star ahead of the clash between the teams at the Mestalla. "Messi is a special player and few compare," he said. He said: "We know we have Cristiano, contesting all year the Golden Ball with Messi.

Tattoo master! Carl Ikeme gets new tattoo on his leg

The Wolverhampton Wandearers shot stopper has revealed his new tattoo of a woman and a rose flower on his leg. The Super Eagles goalkeeper Carl Ikeme loves to get his body tattooed with another piece of a tattoo on his body.Ikeme who is unarguably one of the power forces in Gernot Rohr's team displayed his latest tattoo on his leg via his Twitter page. The 30-year old's tattoo is of a woman and a rose flower on his right leg. "Started the leg sleeve Saturday night , thanks to my bro @willygrattan for taking the time to come over! Great artist and top guy." Ikeme tweeted.

RUMOURS: Juve to offer Mandzukic in part-swap for Alexis

Juventus are plotting an adventurous bid to sign Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez with Mario Mandzukic included as a makeweight in a potential player-plus-cash deal, according to CalcioMercatoWeb. The Bianconeri have been admirers of the Chilean for some time and will offer the Croatian as part of a potential player-plus-cash exchange in order to land him Alexis is currently in talks with the Gunners over a new contract, though negotiations are said to have stalled due to the Chilean's demands of a hefty increase on his current wage of £130,000 per week. Juve CEO Beppe Marotta is a big admirer of the Sanchez and hopes that Arsenal's reluctance to cave to the attacker's wishes will prove useful in an any attempt to lure the 27-year-old to Turin.

Firmino hopes to become the Neymar of Liverpool

 The Brazilian attacker Roberto Firmino has enjoyed a close relationship with Klopp since the German's arrival at Anfield in October 2015 were he hopes to become "the Neymar of Liverpool" with the help of Jurgen Klopp, but admits that fulfilling that ambition is ultimately up to him. And he is keen to take the next step in his career under the 49-year-old, who played a key role in the development of stars such as Robert Lewandowski, Mario Gotze and Marco Reus at Borussia Dortmund. "I played against Klopp's teams for four-and-a-half years [in the Bundesliga]," former Hoffenheim forward Firmino told The Daily Mail. "I know what he wants from a player. When I heard that he was coming to be Liverpool manager, I was so pleased.

Top transfer rumours

Islam Slimani to Leicester City: Despite a significant summer facelift already this window, the Foxes are keen to do some last minute transfer business as they look to bolster their squad for the challenges ahead. According to reports, the reigning Premier League champions have had a 35 million Euro fee for Algeria forward Slimani accepted, despite initially being interested in both him and teammate Adrien Silva, but have left it late to get the

PSG ask Chelsea for £38m for David Luiz

Paris Saint-Germain have told Chelsea that their initial offer for David Luiz is not enough and are demanding £38 million for him. The Blues' bid of £32m fell short of the French champions' valuation of him and PSG won't sanction the sale until they find a replacement. The Brazil international wants a return to Stamford Bridge, but the money on offer from the Blues is below the French champions' valuation. However, Les Parisiens have been looking into options from their shortlist since Tuesday night, but are yet to put in any formal offers on replacements with the transfer window due to close at 23:00 BST on Wednesday.

Okocha's goal makes me dizzy - Oliver Kahn

Oliver Kahn has disclosed that he is yet to recover from the wonder goal he conceded against Nigeria's Austin Jay Jay Okocha in a Bundesliga fixture between Eintracht Frankfurt  and Karlsruhe in 1993. The German legend reminisces about the former Nigeria international's sensational goal after 23 years. The former Bayern Munich skipper paid a tribute to the Nigerian legend as he recalled the encounter exactly 23 years after on his Twitter page. Okocha who came on as a second half substitute for Eintracht Frankfurt provided an assist and scored his wonder goal, by dribbling the entire back-line of Karlsruhe before slotting the ball past Kahn to secure a 3-1 win.

OFFICIAL: West Ham complete Zaza loan

West Ham have announced the loan signing of Juventus striker Simone Zaza on loan.The Hammers have embarked on a wide-ranging search for attacking reinforcements this summer, and the club intensified efforts to recruit a striker following injuries to fellow summer signing Andre Ayew and Andy Carroll. Zaza is the Hammers' 11th summer signing, with Slaven Bilic keen to restructure his playing squad ahead of their first season at the London Stadium. The Italy international  will initial long season deal with the option of a €20 million permanent deal automatically triggered after an unspecified number of Premier League appearances.

Nigeria to debut new Nike jerseys at Olympics against Japan Nigeria Homegreen

Nigeria U23 will wear a new set of jerseys made of laser cut ventilation hole at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, according to the Nigeria Football Federation. The laser-cut ventilation holes and mesh panels in the key areas of the kit are designed to improve performance by increasing air circulation and helping regulate players’ temperatures. The shirtr is crafted using mesh fabric that makes up the full front and back panels of the shirt, increasing airflow and facilitating enhanced movement. Nike’s Dri-FIT technology draws sweat away from the body to the exterior of the shirts and shorts, where it quickly evaporates.  This allows players to perform at their best by remaining cooler, drier and more comfortabèle.The new home and away kits were announced by the NFF on Tuesday afternoon. The NFF signed ar three-and-half -year contract with Nike in 2015 that will see the US-based sportwear giant provide products worth $3.75m. The home kit is a solid green shirt, with white ribbing around the back of the modern crewneck collar featuring Nike’s Dri-FIT technology.