Author: Joe Soriano

Joe Soriano covers West Ham for Green Street Hammers and writes about Real Madrid for The Real Champs. He has extensive experience covering world football since 2014. Joe is an editor for The Trivela Effect, where he covers the biggest clubs in European football. He has watched professional sports regularly since 2002 and can be found playing the same sports he covers with his friends.
Real Madrid will soon decide if they want to sign a CB in 2025
28Mar By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Transfer News

Real Madrid will soon decide if they want to sign a CB in 2025

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is on the verge of securing his third marquee transfer in three straight years, as Liverpool superstar right back Trent Alexander-Arnold is expected to join the Merengues for free this summer. Last year, Real Madrid signed PSG superstar attacker Kylian Mbappe for free - an even bigger long-term dream target of Florentino's. And the year before, he signed Jude Bellingham from Dortmund for 100 million euros. Even though Alexander-Arnold alone would be a successful transfer window for Real Madrid, there are many fans who believe the club needs to make more defensive signings, and while TAA would be a much-needed right back to help Dani Carvajal, he is more of an attacking-minded fullback. Transfer rumors swirl around Bournemouth breakout star an...
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Rafael van der Vaart buries Aston Villa for use of Dutch stars
28Mar By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Analysis

Rafael van der Vaart buries Aston Villa for use of Dutch stars

Aston Villa spent over 100 million euros on new players in the summer 2024 transfer window and then added a handful of more big names in the winter after thos summer signings failed to improve Villa's status from a Champions League side to a potential title contender in the Premier League. In fact, Aston Villa have fallen outside the top four entirely and have been worse off in 2024/25 despite the aggressive reinforcements. And many of those new additions have failed to get a solid foothold in the time. Among the most prominent is left back Ian Maatsen, who was signed permanently for nearly 45 million euros from Chelsea after enjoying an excellent 2023/24 breakout season on loan at Borussia Dortmund, in which he was one of the standouts in BVB's return to the Champions League Final. ...
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Jude Bellingham played big role in recruiting Trent Alexander-Arnold
28Mar By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Transfer News

Jude Bellingham played big role in recruiting Trent Alexander-Arnold

Real Madrid are on the cusp of signing superstar right back Trent Alexander-Arnold as a free agent from Liverpool this summer, ending arguably the most anticipated transfer saga of 2025 before the window officially opens. TAA is a homegrown talent for Liverpool, and yet the Reds are fully expected to lose their most valuable transfer commodity to the biggest club in world football this year. Real Madrid president Florentino Perez had the generationally gifted right back tabbed as his only option at the position, and he accelerated his interest in the England international following star man Dani Carvajal's season-ending ACL tear. Perez also had some vital help. Relevo reports, via the Madrid Zone, that Real Madrid star midfielder and Alexander-Arnold's England teammate Jude Bellin...
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Newcastle want to sign Liverpool center back as Dean Huijsen alternative
28Mar By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Transfer News

Newcastle want to sign Liverpool center back as Dean Huijsen alternative

Dean Huijsen is the name on everyone's lips right now, and with Real Madrid ramping up their interest in the Bournemouth breakout star, the 19-year-old is becoming an even more popular name on the transfer rumor mill. According to a report from top transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, Newcastle still want to sign Huijsen this summer but believe it won't be easy for them to get a transfer done for the teenage Spanish international. As such, Newcastle are moving to other center back transfer targets, and the latest young talent to catch their eye is Liverpool backup center back Jarell Quansah, who has also played right back this season in Trent Alexander-Arnold's absence. Fab writes that Newcastle and Liverpool have not engaged in transfer talks yet for Quansah, but he notes that the d...
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Arsenal targeting £60M Alexander Isak alternative at striker
28Mar By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Transfer News

Arsenal targeting £60M Alexander Isak alternative at striker

Arsenal needed to sign a top striker in the last summer transfer window, and after failing to bring in anyone new, the Gunners are, once again, being linked with marquee names at the striker position in the summer 2025 transfer window. Although breakout stars Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres remain firmly on the Arsenal transfer radar, the Gunners are being linked with some even bigger names at the striker position now, namely Premier League superstar Alexander Isak. The Swedish international has been the best striker in the league this season over at Newcastle, surpassing Erling Haaland of Manchester City. He has all the tools, especially the lethal finishing, that Arsenal are looking for at the 9. But the problem is cost. According to a report from The Sun, via afcstuff, Newca...
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Will Bukayo Saka return from injury vs. Real Madrid in UCL?
28Mar By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Injury News

Will Bukayo Saka return from injury vs. Real Madrid in UCL?

Arsenal star right winger Bukayo Saka has been excellent this season when healthy, but his impact on the 2024/25 Premier League and Champions League seasons has been derailed by multiple injuries. Saka has missed more than 20 games overall this season, and his latest hamstring injury has taken him out since just before Christmas, meaning he's been out for more than three months now. But Saka will be returning shortly, and there is optimism that he can be back in the Arsenal lineup as early as Apr. 1 when Arsenal return from the March international break to face European football hopefuls Fulham in the Premier League. It will be important for Saka to get healthy and stay healthy, but Arsenal want to really focus on getting the world-class winger back to 100 percent for the Champion...
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Dani Olmo injury update for Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid
28Mar By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Injury News

Dani Olmo injury update for Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid

New Barcelona star Dani Olmo came to Catalunya with injury concerns, and he has already missed 13 games in the 2024/25 LaLiga season with various soft-tissue ailments. Although he scored in Barca's impressive 3-0, revenge-minded win over Osasuna on Thursday night in LaLiga, Olmo left before 30 minutes were completed with another injury. According to a report from Mundo Deportivo, via barcentre, Olmo will not be able to play in Barca's upcoming game on Apr. 2 against Atletico Madrid in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals. Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are tied 4-4 on aggregate after a fiery first leg, so Olmo's absence as a potential goal-scorer from midfield could loom large next week if more fireworks take place between the two LaLiga title contenders. Of course, Bar...
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Xabi Alonso recruiting star midfielder to Real Madrid besides Florian Wirtz?
28Mar By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Transfer News

Xabi Alonso recruiting star midfielder to Real Madrid besides Florian Wirtz?

Real Madrid are expected to finally make a change at the manager post this summer, swapping the legendary Carlo Ancelotti for Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso, who earned widespread acclaim for an undefeated season in 2023/24. In 2024/25, Alonso has recovered from a slow start to help Leverkusen push Bayern Munich for the Bundesliga title once more, only enhancing his reputation as the best young manager in world football even further. The best possible get to replace Ancelotti, the reigning winner of the Champions League, Alonso's time could be now, and he is apparently already eyeing some big moves for Real Madrid in the summer 2025 transfer window if president Florentino Perez gives him the job. According to Fabrizio Romano, via Madrid Xtra, the big reason for the sudden ru...
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Real Madrid are beating Arsenal in Martin Zubimendi transfer battle
27Mar By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Transfer News

Real Madrid are beating Arsenal in Martin Zubimendi transfer battle

For more than a year now, Real Sociedad star defensive midfielder Martin Zubimendi has been the hottest name at the position, wanted by clubs like Arsenal, Liverpool, and even LaLiga top-four rivals Barcelona on the transfer market. But now, the other giants of LaLiga have joined in with serious interest in Zubimendi, as Real Madrid have taken stock of their club's issues in the post-Toni Kroos landscape and correctly view a lack of control as one of their biggest weaknesses. Without Kroos, Real Madrid have not had control in most of their meaningful matches, which have featured disappointing results to the likes of Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, and Liverpool this season. Well, Real Madrid see Zubimendi as the best available deep-lying midfielder with controlling capabilities, and t...
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Real Madrid think Trent Alexander-Arnold will be the best in the world
27Mar By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Transfer News

Real Madrid think Trent Alexander-Arnold will be the best in the world

The transfer rumors linking Liverpools star right back Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid are so persistent and fierce that, as with Kylian Mbappe's free transfer from PSG to Madrid last summer, it feels like a foregone conclusion that the England international will end up at the Santiago Bernabeu. Fellow English superstar Jude Bellingham's hard work to recruit Alexander-Arnold to Madrid appears to be paying off, and Florentino Perez's desire to sign the world's best players in their primes on free transfers is about to get another big feather in the proverbial cap. There's a lot of optimism regarding the Alexander-Arnold deal's completion at the Valdebebas, and that optimism extends to how Real Madrid feel TAA can help the team in 2025 and beyond. According to Fabrizio Romano,...
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