Joe Soriano, Author at The Trivela Effect

Leicester City interested in rescurrecting former Tottenham bust

27Aug

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, Premier League

Leicester City interested in rescurrecting former Tottenham bust

Leicester City are in the market for forwards this summer, looking to boost their attack for the remainder of the 2024/25 Premier League season in order to avoid dropping back to the Championship. The Foxes have already secured the signing of Crystal Palace attacker Jordan Ayew, an experienced Premier League forward who can draw fouls and score the occasional goal. According to a report from The Athletic's Rob Tanner, Leicester City have added Ajax winger Steven Bergwijn to the list of attacking targets they are interested in for the final days of the summer 2024 transfer window. Bergwijn has Premier League experience, as he spent a few seasons with Tottenham before returning to the Dutch Eredivisie. However, Begwijn never quite got off on the right foot for Spurs, failing to scor...

Newcastle close to completing £70 million blockbuster transfer

26Aug

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, Premier League

Newcastle close to completing £70 million blockbuster transfer

Newcastle United have plenty of financial power after the Saudi Arabian takeover, and they have largely used that money wisely in the past two seasons, parlaying their smart spending into a Champions League appearance in 2023/24. Although Newcastle missed out on the UCL with a disappointing finish last season, they had two silver linings, unearthing two of the best attacking players in the entire Premier League in Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak, who joined Sven Botman and Bruno Guimaraes as the latest impact signings by the Magpies. Newcastle may not be able to sign a right wing upgrade over Miguel Almiron to pair with Isak and Gordon due to difficulties in finding a landing spot for Almiron, but they are closing in on a blockbuster signing at a different position. According to...

Chelsea have to nix the dream scenario swap deal for Jadon Sancho

26Aug

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, Premier League

Chelsea have to nix the dream scenario swap deal for Jadon Sancho

Chelsea are highly interested in making a fourth major splash in the winger market this summer, even though their attack is already showing signs of renewed vigor under Enzo Maresca after dropping a six-burger on Wolves this past weekend. After adding Portuguese stars Pedro Neto and Joao Felix, Chelsea have their eyes on Manchester United superstar Jadon Sancho, who is on the outs at Old Trafford due to his acrimonious relationship with manager Erik ten Hag. As of right now, Chelsea are exploring potential swap deals with Manchester United in order to acquire Sancho, hoping that the Red Devils will reduce the winger's asking price by accepting a player the Blues no longer want anyway. Veteran Premier League winger Raheem Sterling is Chelsea's ideal candidate, as he no longer has a...

Celtic defender finally getting chance to shine elsewhere

26Aug

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features

Celtic defender finally getting chance to shine elsewhere

Celtic recently made a major sale that was tough to swallow, sending star attacking midfielder Matt O'Riley to Brighton after receiving plenty of interest from clubs like Roma, Atalanta, Leicester City, Southampton, and Atletico Madrid. At Celtic, O'Riley proved he is a Champions League-quality midfielder, registering a whopping six assists in the competition last season. A great goal-scorer and playmaker, O'Riley is a big-ticket addition for Brighton and a tough loss for Celtic. Meanwhile, Celtic are also letting another talented player go, albeit one not quite as acclaimed as O'Riley nor as important to the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership champions. According to a report from Dutch outlet Tubantia, Celtic center back Gustaf Lagerbielke has left the club for Dutch Eredivisie side Tw...

Fabrizio Romano offers disheartening Arsenal transfer update

26Aug

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, Premier League

Fabrizio Romano offers disheartening Arsenal transfer update

Arsenal have made two of the best signings in the Premier League this summer, bringing Riccardo Calafiori on board from Bologna and then masterfully plucking the secretly world-class midfielder Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad. However, coming into the summer 2024 transfer window, the biggest area of need for Arsenal was signing a star attacker, and the Gunners have yet to bring in an out-and-out goal-scoring No. 9 or winger depth behind Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli. It seems like Arsenal may not be making an attacking splash at all in the final days of the window, unless a really obvious market opportunity emerges for the Premier League title contenders. That's according to Fabrizio Romano, via afcstuff, “In terms of opportunities, I would keep the door open. I don’t think i...

Chelsea have a dastardly swap deal in mind for Jadon Sancho

26Aug

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, Premier League

Chelsea have a dastardly swap deal in mind for Jadon Sancho

Chelsea have joined Juventus in the race to sign Manchester United star winger Jadon Sancho, who will almost certainly leave the club this summer after a public falling out with manager Erik ten Hag. Although Man United considered firing ten Hag after an eighth-placed finish in the 2023/24 season, new ownership group INEOS decided to give him a second chance after he qualified for European football by virtue of winning the FA Cup. That has left Sancho outside the door of Old Trafford, and while Juve have been the only side pushing for a permanent solution, the Bianconeri have been unable to secure a deal for the English winger because of financial juggling. Chelsea have already spent over 150 million euros on attacking players this summer, reuniting with Joao Felix on a permanent ...

West Ham close to signing attacker for €20 million

26Aug

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, Premier League

West Ham close to signing attacker for €20 million

West Ham came into the summer 2024 transfer window with a pretty darn good attacking quartet of Mohammed Kudus, Michail Antonio, Lucas Paqueta, and Jarrod Bowen. However, West Ham were missing depth on the wings, as well as a true No. 9 who could anchor the attack as a fox-in-the-box poacher. After hiring Julen Lopetegui to replace David Moyes, signing that kind of striker became their priority. Now, West Ham have their man in former Borussia Dortmund and Werder Bremen striker Niclas Fullkrug. In addition to the German international, West Ham have also signed Brazilian right wing prospect Luis Guilherme and promising Leeds left winger Crysencio Summerville to add quality depth and potential future stars to either wing. The Hammers aren't done, though, as they are focused on signin...

FC25 snubs Vinicius Jr. in favor of Manchester City star

26Aug

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, LaLiga, Premier League

FC25 snubs Vinicius Jr. in favor of Manchester City star

Real Madrid left winger Vinicius Junior had himself another fantastic year, winning LaLiga and the Champions League for the third and second time in his career, respectively. The fleet-footed Brazilian has become the main creative and secondary goal-scoring threat for Real Madrid, providing the Merengue club with his best performances in the Champions League. This past season, Vinicius Jr. scored 6 goals with 4 assists in 10 Champions League appearances, averaging exactly a goal contribution per game in world football's premier competition. He also averaged 3.7 dribbles completed, 1.9 key passes, and 1.4 fouls drawn in the Champions League, adding a further 15 goals and 5 assists across 26 LaLiga appearances (22 starts). It was a banner year for Vinicius Jr., whose sheer qualit...

Barcelona’s highest-rated players in FC25 are an absolute joke

25Aug

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

Barcelona’s highest-rated players in FC25 are an absolute joke

EA Sports's offering of the football video game FC25 will become available next month on Sept. 27, and the player ratings are being leaked, with Barcelona fans, like any other fanbase, wondering just what in the heck the powers that be over at EA are thinking. It often seems like they aren't watching the games when they come up with the ratings, frequently biasing their evaluations towards aging players who are declining, failing to account for their slip in standard while, on the other hand, not rating up-and-coming superstars properly. Barcelona right winger Lamine Yamal was the best player at the European Championships and was arguably Barca's best player in the 2023/24 LaLiga season at the age of 16, yet he is only rated 81 despite already being a world-class winger. Meanwhile...

Carlo Ancelotti provides update on transfer listed Real Madrid star

25Aug

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

Carlo Ancelotti provides update on transfer listed Real Madrid star

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti responded to his team's disappointing opener against Mallorca in LaLiga last weekend, as Fede Valverde and the substitutes orchestrated a three-goal second half to take care of a returning Real Valladolid. The three points for Real Madrid came after Ancelotti remarked that he had found the solution to the club's issue after just one match, and the second-half attacking outburst from the Merengues makes it seem like all is indeed well at the Santiago Bernabeu. But as Real Madrid gear up for tougher matches than Real Valladolid and Mallorca in LaLiga, Madridistas have been wondering about the futures of a few talented young players sitting on the periphery of the squad as backups. Goalkeeper Andriy Lunin is chief among those standouts, as the Ukra...