Author: Joe Soriano

Joe Soriano covers Tottenham for FanSided's Hotspur HQ 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.
This Luka Modric stat highlights how Vinicius Junior needs to step up more
30Mar By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Analysis

This Luka Modric stat highlights how Vinicius Junior needs to step up more

Real Madrid are in a tough LaLiga title race, and while they helped their own cause after Kylian Mbappe's brace rescued a potential upset loss to Leganes this weekend at the Santiago Bernabeu, it honestly looks like Barcelona are the favorites to take home the title this season. Mbappe's addition to the team has proven beneficial, because, without him as their top scorer, Real Madrid may be facing a more difficult campaign amidst defensive injuries, a midfield lacking control without Toni Kroos, and a down year from Vinicius Junior. Although Vini Jr.'s 10 goals and 5 assists show that he's having a good season overall, he has been left wanting in some ways, and this key stat sheds some light on how. Per stat site Squawka, Luka Modric, at the age of 39 and with just 11 starts this ...
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Bayern Munich are backing out of the race for their ideal LW transfer
30Mar By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Transfer News

Bayern Munich are backing out of the race for their ideal LW transfer

With Serge Gnabry and Kingley Coman in the down phase of their solid Bundesliga and Champions League careers, Bayern Munich are in need of a new left winger in the summer 2025 transfer window. Last summer, Bayern signed one of the best up-and-coming right wingers in the game in Michael Olise, and his addition has paid immediate dividends for Die Roten. But Bayern need an explosive, chance-creating partner on the opposite wing - someone who can bring more dynamism and one-on-one ability than what Coman and Gnabry can currently offer, which is admittedly very little. However, Bayern Munich are reportedly backing out of the race to sign Athletic Club star Nico Williams, who was previously said to be the dream signing of Bayern sporting director Max Eberl. Williams is having anothe...
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Chelsea are making a push to steal away the top CB Barcelona beat them to
29Mar By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Transfer News

Chelsea are making a push to steal away the top CB Barcelona beat them to

Chelsea have been trying to assemble a quality back line, and they've invested a lot in promising young center backs around European football over the last few years. Most of those signings haven't worked out. Aside from Levi Colwill, Chelsea haven't found a true building block at the center back position. Wesley Fofana is injured too frequently to rely on, Benoit Badiashile has been highly inconsistent, and Axel Disasi is currently loaned out to Aston Villa after failing to seal a spot. Originally, the center back Chelsea wanted more than anyone else was Jules Kounde back in 2022, but despite the Blues' best efforts, they lost out on the world-class LaLiga youngster at Sevilla to one of the country's two biggest clubs, Barcelona, for just 50 million euros (10 million less than his m...
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Liverpool close to signing the flashiest Trent Alexander-Arnold replacement
29Mar By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Transfer News

Liverpool close to signing the flashiest Trent Alexander-Arnold replacement

Liverpool are resigned to the fact that star right back Trent Alexander-Arnold will leave for free in the summer 2025 transfer window to Real Madrid, so they are already lining up alternatives for the 26-year-old homegrown talent. The most frequently linked name is Bayer Leverkusen star Jeremie Frimpong, who has established himself as one of the most exciting players on the right flank over the last couple of years, including winning the Bundesliga title last season. According to a report from the Daily Record, via LFCVine, Frimpong is "on the verge" of joining Liverpool this season to replace Alexander-Arnold as the new right back. Frimpong is a very attacking-minded player, even moreso than Alexander-Arnold. The Dutch international is capable of scoring goals and assists like a ...
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Manchester United showing serious interest in £67M Arsenal striker target
29Mar By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Transfer News

Manchester United showing serious interest in £67M Arsenal striker target

Manchester United need to sign a striker in the summer 2025 transfer window, as Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have failed to provide enough goal-scoring threat up top together. Both Zirkzee and Hojlund had great success in Serie A as up-and-coming talent at smaller clubs, but neither player is a proven goal-scorer and both have struggled at times in the 2024/25 season. Although Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim's former Sporting CP star striker Viktor Gyokeres is still widely seen as the favorite to join the Red Devils this summer, the club are looking for alternatives. According to a report from Sky Sports Germany, via mufcmpb, Manchester United are "seriously" interested in Eintracht Frankfurt breakout star striker Hugo Ekitke, former of Reims and PSG. Ekitike is wan...
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Aston Villa in the lead to sign Chelsea forward this summer transfer window
29Mar By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Transfer News

Aston Villa in the lead to sign Chelsea forward this summer transfer window

After letting Moussa Diaby go to Saudi Arabia in the summer 2024 transfer window for a big profit, Aston Villa have a need on the right wing that still hasn't technically been filled in the long-term by PSG loanee Marco Asensio. Given Asensio's goal-scoring abilities and sweet left foot, he could be part of a solution on the right wing, but Aston Villa would need an out-and-out winger to pair with him. According to a report from GiveMeSport's Dean Jones and Danny Rust, Aston Villa have set their eyes on Chelsea right winger Noni Madueke, and they are actually leading the transfer battle to sign the talented 23-year-old. Although Madueke can be a good player, he is a mercurial one. Madueke has similarities with Diaby due to his streakiness, explosiveness, and desire to score goals,...
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Antony’s breakout makes another Manchester United flop look even worse
29Mar By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Transfer News

Antony’s breakout makes another Manchester United flop look even worse

Manchester United loaned out right winger Antony to Real Betis this winter in the hopes that a move to Spain would get something out of their mercurial forward. And Antony has quickly made Seville his new home, playing at a higher level than most players in LaLiga so far this season. In seven matches, Antony has scored two goals with two assists while averaging three key passes per game and more than two combined dribbles completed and fouls drawn per match. After offering no real end product or creativity at Old Trafford, Antony has been one of the best creators in Europe since his move to Real Betis, giving him hope for the future, whether that is with Real Betis, Manchester United, or even some other club in European football. But while Antony has broken out in his new surround...
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Ranking the 3 best Trent Alexander-Arnold replacements for Liverpool
29Mar By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Transfer News

Ranking the 3 best Trent Alexander-Arnold replacements for Liverpool

Liverpool star right back Trent Alexander-Arnold is apparently close to signing a five-year deal with Real Madrid and will leave Anfield upon the conclusion of the 2024/25 Premier League season. So here are the three best replacements for the generationally talented, homegrown Liverpool man, ranked in order from worst to best. 3. Jeremie Frimpong, Bayer Leverkusen Jeremie Frimpong would have been a more popular option a summer ago, but his stock has fallen, even as Bayer Leverkusen remain Bundesliga title contenders in 2024/25. The problem with Frimpong is that he is actually everything people falsely accuse Alexander-Arnold of being. See, Frimpong isn't a real right back. He can't play defense. Like, at all. Frimpong is a winger masquerading as a wing back, and whereas Alexande...
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The narrative is already being twisted with Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid
29Mar By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Analysis

The narrative is already being twisted with Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid

After months of speculation, Real Madrid are seemingly set to secure the signing of free agent right back Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool, and recent reports indicate that the 26-year-old England international will sign a five-year deal with the Royal Whites. Alexander-Arnold's transfer would be the next in a line of high-profile free agent signings made by Real Madrid, whose president Florentino Perez has made it a goal to either sign superstars or free agents - and nothing in between. Like Kylian Mbappe last summer, Alexander-Arnold would fall into both categories as a superstar free agent who has been on the Real Madrid transfer radar for several seasons now. And his arrival would come at an opportune time, as current starting right back Dani Carvajal - the only senior ri...
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Manchester United eyeing two goalkeeper transfer targets
28Mar By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Transfer News

Manchester United eyeing two goalkeeper transfer targets

It's unclear if Manchester United will actually go ahead and pull the trigger on a move, but there are rumblings that the Red Devils want to make a goalkeeping move in the summer 2025 transfer window. There's a belief that the goalkeeper position has now become a priority of Manchester United on the transfer market, and if starting keeper Andre Onana is open to a move, then the club would let the talented but inconsistent shot-stopper exit. According to a report from the Muppetiers, via UtdEra, Manchester United are interested in Royal Antwerp goalkeeper Senne Lammens and Burnley shot-stopper James Trafford as alternatives. While Onana is a more proven name and a former Champions League finalist with Inter Milan, Trafford and Lammens have been better this season and have more futu...
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