Joe Soriano, Author at The Trivela Effect

Every Champions League contender’s best Ballon d’Or candidate for 2025/26

9Aug

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Analysis

Every Champions League contender’s best Ballon d’Or candidate for 2025/26

PSG took everyone by surprise and conquered the 2024/25 Champions League, and although their triumph of world football's premier club competition was marked by a transition to a more team-oriented setup after the departure of Kylian Mbappe, the Parisians still had one of the Ballon d'Or favorites from the campaign in the resurrected form of a more mature Ousmane Dembele. Every high-achieving club needs at least one superstar to lead the way, and in 2025/26, there's a wide open slate of contenders of the Champions League crown, whether it's the defending champions PSG or the competition's record-holding champions Real Madrid. So in that spirit, let's take a preview of what could unfold in the 2025/26 and name every Champions League title contender's best shot at capturing the Ballon d...

Ranking the 5 Best Striker Transfers of the 2025 Premier League Summer Window So Far

9Aug

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Transfer News

Ranking the 5 Best Striker Transfers of the 2025 Premier League Summer Window So Far

Pretty much every top club in the Premier League was after a new No. 9 this summer, as there's been a clear gap in the quality at the striker position in the English top flight - and in world football as a whole - when comparing the names of today to the strikers gracing the pitch 10-20 years ago. So Premier League sides were busy trying to snag new strikers in the summer 2025 transfer window, and there were plenty of splashes to be made around the top (and a certain team in the bottom) half of the table. Here are the five best striker transfers of the summer 2025 window thus far. 5. Liam Delap to Chelsea Ipswich Town were a predictable disaster last season and totally overmatched for the Premier League, but they did have a couple of young gems, including Liam Delap at striker. ...

5 Declining Premier League Stars Who Could Revive Careers With a Summer 2025 Transfer

9Aug

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Transfer News

5 Declining Premier League Stars Who Could Revive Careers With a Summer 2025 Transfer

Father Time takes no prisoners, but, sometimes, there are footballers who have the appearance of declining in quality but have the capability of returning to a high level of football in a different setting. The Premier League is particularly unforgiving to veteran players, especially in comparison to some of the other top five leagues in European football, and in light of Kevin De Bruyne's move to Serie A champions Napoli, let's take a look at a handful of other stars in the English top flight who could rebound with a change in scenery. Manchester City LW Jack Grealish The most obvious name on the list is Jack Grealish, and while he's been linked to a desperate Tottenham Hotspur as his only concrete suitor thus far in the summer transfer window, a move outside the Premier League may b...

The 5 Best Young Premier League Players Still Available in the 2025 Summer Transfer Market

8Aug

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Transfer News

The 5 Best Young Premier League Players Still Available in the 2025 Summer Transfer Market

Generally, young players don't get sold from top teams in the Premier League as easily, and so there aren't as many players being actively shopped in the English top flight at this stage in the transfer window. Most of the top young players available have already been snapped up. Chelsea bagged strikers Liam Delap and Joao Pedro, Arsenal brought in Noni Madueke from Chelsea, and even Tottenham got in the act by plucking Mohammed Kudus from London rivals West Ham. But here are five young Premier League players of the age of 25 or younger who could still make a move before the summer 2025 transfer window ends on Monday, September 1. READ MORE: The best signings of the 2025 Premier League summer transfer window 5. Manchester United ST Rasmus Hojlund Rasmus Hojlund was one of the mo...

Top 10 Young Wingers in the Premier League 2025/26: Future Stars to Watch This Season

8Aug

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Rankings

Top 10 Young Wingers in the Premier League 2025/26: Future Stars to Watch This Season

The 2025/26 Premier League season is set to showcase a new wave of electric young wingers ready to take over English football. From explosive dribblers to versatile goal threats, these wide players aren’t just promising; they’re already impacting the biggest games. In an era dominated by pace, creativity, and tactical flexibility, the league is stacked with under-23 talent destined for superstardom. Whether it’s Manchester City’s next breakout star or a Brighton gem flying under the radar, this list ranks the top 10 young wingers in the Premier League to watch in 2025/26. Expect future Ballon d’Or contenders in here. 10. Wilson Odobert, Tottenham Tottenham invested 25 million pounds in Wilson Odobert from Burnley last summer, and while the highly talented Frenchman has yet to break ou...

Is Martin Zubimendi Worth £55.8M? How Good Is Arsenal’s Latest Midfield Anchor?

7Aug

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Analysis

Is Martin Zubimendi Worth £55.8M? How Good Is Arsenal’s Latest Midfield Anchor?

Martín Zubimendi isn't a flashy name, but the £55.8 million Arsenal paid says everything about how highly Mikel Arteta rates him. A metronomic passer with elite defensive positioning, Zubimendi has quietly become one of Europe’s most reliable holding midfielders at Real Sociedad. Now, with Arsenal chasing the final piece of a title-winning puzzle, the question is simple: is he really that good? In an era where deep-lying midfielders are the brainstems of elite teams, Zubimendi’s intelligence and ball security might make him worth every penny. Here’s what makes him tick. And why Arsenal wanted him so badly. What Type of Midfielder Is Martín Zubimendi, and Where Would He Fit at Arsenal? Martin Zubimendi is a classic holding midfielder. He fulfills an archetype of a player who is a midfi...

Ranking The Top 25 Players In La Liga History

6Aug

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

All-Time Lists

Ranking The Top 25 Players In La Liga History

Who are the greatest players in La Liga history? It's a deceptively simple question, but ranking the top 25 legends of Spain's top flight requires more than just goals and trophies. From the golden era of Alfredo Di Stéfano and Francisco Gento to the recent reign of Lionel Messi and Karim Benzema, La Liga has produced some of the most iconic footballers ever to play the game. This ranking dives deep into the best players in La Liga of all time, factoring in longevity, influence, technical brilliance, and historical context. We’re not just listing the top La Liga goal scorers or the most decorated names — we’re asking who truly defined eras and shaped Spanish football across decades. Whether it's midfield magicians like Xavi and Iniesta or cult heroes like Quini, this is the defini...

10 Summer Transfers That Will Have The Biggest Tactical Impact In 2025/26

5Aug

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Transfer News

10 Summer Transfers That Will Have The Biggest Tactical Impact In 2025/26

The 2025 summer transfer window has delivered more than just blockbuster deals; it’s reshaped the tactical landscape of world football. From La Liga and the Premier League to Serie A, the Bundesliga, and the Champions League elite, this year’s biggest signings are less about marketing and more about evolution on the pitch. These are transfers that shift systems, redefine pressing structures, and spark entirely new tactical blueprints. We rank 10 summer signings that will have the biggest tactical impact in world football during the 2025/26 season, analyzing how they’ll influence formations, possession structures, and the balance of power across Europe. 10. Jonathan Burkardt to Eintracht Frankfurt Eintracht Frankfurt have made three of the biggest transfers in European football in t...

La Liga Fantasy 2025: Ranking The Top 10 Center Backs

4Aug

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Fantasy

La Liga Fantasy 2025: Ranking The Top 10 Center Backs

When building your La Liga Fantasy 2025/26 squad, locking in a dominant center‑back is non‑negotiable. These are the top 10 La Liga centre‑backs who delivered elite defensive returns, clean sheets, and bonus‑scoring consistency. Anchoring your backline with reliable figures can set you apart. This ranking fuses defensive metrics, bonus‑point impact, and real‑world form to highlight the best CB assets, shining a spotlight on the most effective picks for fantasy managers chasing clean sheets and wins. 10. Antonio Raillo, Mallorca Mallorca have started to play a little more exciting on the attacking end over the past couple of years since their return to La Liga, but make no mistake, this team was built on hard-nosed defending, and when the matchup is right, they are absolutely lockdown ...

Ranking Every Bundesliga Manager From Worst To First In 2025/26

4Aug

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Analysis

Ranking Every Bundesliga Manager From Worst To First In 2025/26

The Bundesliga is entering 2025/26 with one of its most unpredictable managerial lineups in years. Proven, elite coaches are rare. This is a league now led by cult heroes like Steffen Baumgart at Union Berlin and rising tacticians like Bo Henriksen at Mainz. While clubs like Bayern Munich and, presumably, Bayer Leverkusen aim for titles, most teams are betting on energy, identity, and upside over big names. In this ranking, we evaluate every Bundesliga manager from worst to first based on tactical quality, squad fit, and realistic expectations. It’s a season where reputations will be made—or broken—from the dugout. 18. Lukas Kwasniok, Koln A decent enough coach for SC Paderborn, Lukas Kwasniok has no real successful track record as a manager. He's never coached in the Bundesliga, a...