Author: Joe Soriano

Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling.

The 10 biggest transfer bargains of the 2025/26 Premier League season
10Feb By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Analysis

The 10 biggest transfer bargains of the 2025/26 Premier League season

We are more than halfway done with the 2025/26 Premier League season, and now it makes sense to take a look back at the summer transfer window at how the new faces in the league have gotten along with their teams. Here are 10 transfers from the summer that have proven to be the biggest bargains of the season thus far, shaping title races, European battles, and relegation fights in the 2025/26 campaign. Cristhian Mosquera to Arsenal, 15M If you ask me, Cristhian Mosquera was definitely the best bargain of the summer 2025 transfer window, because Arsenal pounced on an excellent young center back who was playing at a high level in La Liga, snatching the proverbial cat out of the bag long before their competitors had even heard of Mosquera's exploits in Spain. And all Mosquera has do...
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The 10 most underrated Bundesliga players in 2026
8Feb By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Analysis

The 10 most underrated Bundesliga players in 2026

The Bundesliga is one of the most overlooked leagues in European football despite being one of the four most popular around the world in terms of overall interest, and while it lacks the same star power it has in the past, part of that is because so many of their best players do not get their deserved plaudits. Here are 10 Bundesliga standouts currently in the 2025/26 season who are massively underrated and deserve a lot more praise, attention, and transfer consideration from other clubs around European football. Hoffenheim CM Wouter Burger Most fans have not heard of Wouter Burger, but diehard Bundesliga supporters know that the young Dutch midfielder has been one of the best overall players in the league this season. He is an ideal deep lying playmaker with his ability to score...
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The 10 best young Bundesliga stars available on the summer 2026 transfer market
7Feb By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Analysis

The 10 best young Bundesliga stars available on the summer 2026 transfer market

The Bundesliga has always been a haven for producing young footballing talent for all the leagues in world football, and the Premier League, in particular, have become fond of plucking the newest budding young talent from the German top flight. As 2026 continues, here is a look at 10 young stars in Germany who are worth watching closely and should be available in the upcoming summer 2026 transfer window when June hits. RB Leipzig LW Yan Diomande From Bundesliga kings Bayern Munich to Premier League clubs Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, Yan Diomande is going to have no shortage of suitors in the summer transfer window as one of the brightest young prospects on the wings in European football. Everyone is after explosive young wingers who can beat their man and produce goal...
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Fantasy La Liga 2026: Ranking the 10 best midfielders to own for maximum points
7Feb By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Analysis

Fantasy La Liga 2026: Ranking the 10 best midfielders to own for maximum points

Choosing the best midfielders in La Liga Fantasy is a lot more difficult than just going with the best overall players, the stars on the best teams, or even who is actually playing the best because the scoring system favors midfielders who score goals, dribble incisively, and make decisive defensive actions as part of a successful team defense. Negotiating all of these variables is often difficult. Here are the best La Liga midfielders to own in fantasy for the remainder of the 2025/26 season based on their ability to give you maximum points, regardless of their cost. 10. Luis Milla, Getafe With seven assists this season, Luis Milla is one of the best table setters in La Liga, and he is also a quality defender in the middle of the park. But he isn't going to get you many points anyw...
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Ranking the 15 best goalkeepers in world football in 2026
25Jan By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Rankings

Ranking the 15 best goalkeepers in world football in 2026

You would think the goalkeeper position would be the easiest to evaluate on the football pitch, because, well, goalkeepers are more stationary than other players and can be largely evaluated on how successful they are at stopping the other team from scoring. But it isn't really that simple. Although goalkeepers are primarily asked to make saves, ask any Manchester United or Tottenham Hotspur fan how much having a goalkeeper who does not command the box well or makes basic errors in possession can totally destroy your team's sense of stability. There is also the matter of reputation. Many goalkeepers can skate by on a reputation built up over the years of greatness, whereas some younger goalkeepers find it more difficult to gain a foothold for this reason. Finally, there is the mat...
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Is Jude Bellingham overrated?
24Jan By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Analysis

Is Jude Bellingham overrated?

It has been a topsy turvy 2025/26 season for Real Madrid in La Liga, and while they are still in the league title race, they have already lost out on two major trophies in the Spanish Supercup and Copa del Rey. For any other club, the situation would not have been a sackable offense for manager Xabi Alonso, but the players had already turned on the new manager mere months - or even less - into his reign. One of those players pinpointed by fans as part of the mutiny against Alonso was Jude Bellingham, who is no stranger to being a target of media criticism. A lot of the personal dislike has bled into Bellingham being called "overrated". So let's analyze how true that is. Is Jude Bellingham overrated? Why do people say that? And how good is Jude actually? Why people say Jude Bellin...
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Ranking the 10 best Serie A goalkeepers right now in 2025
10Sep By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Rankings

Ranking the 10 best Serie A goalkeepers right now in 2025

Serie A doesn't get nearly as much credit as it should for producing some of the finest goalkeepers in the world, and I don't think there's a league in world football right now that has had as much depth at the goalkeeper position among all the teams in the league over the past five years. Players like Guglielmo Vicario have gone on to have great success after leaving Serie A, but there's still more than enough high-end talent in the Italian top flight - and that goes beyond internationally recognized names like Yann Sommer and Mike Maignan. In celebration of all the goalkeepers in Serie A, including the more underrated ones, here's a ranking of the top 10 goalkeepers in the Italian top flight here in 2025. All statistics are courtesy of FBRef.com, which has, by far and away, the ...
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Premier League Power Rankings: The 6 most important midfield anchors in 2025/26
7Sep By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Rankings

Premier League Power Rankings: The 6 most important midfield anchors in 2025/26

Although most of the attention in world football goes to the goal-scorers and the playmakers who grace the highlight reels and pile up the counting statistics, more appreciation has been given to defensive midfielders in recent years. Players like Aurelien Tchouameni and Declan Rice are going for massive transfer fees, others like Rodri and Ryan Gravenberch are winning or have been in contention for prestigious awards, and even fantasy football has increased the attention on and appreciation for the humble No. 6. These players are often vital to the success of their teams, and there's a reason why all the Big Six clubs in the Premier League have been pushing so hard for top defensive midfield talent. Here are the six most important midfield anchors to their respective Premier Leag...
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Premier League Power Rankings: The 10 best strikers for the 2025/26 season
4Sep By Joe SorianoNo Comments
Rankings

Premier League Power Rankings: The 10 best strikers for the 2025/26 season

Now that the summer 2025 transfer window has come to a close, every Premier League club knows who their starting striker is, and there has been a huge influx of talent into the league's top teams at the striker position. That isn't surprising, and it is a response to virtually all the top teams in England having a major need up top, with fans lamenting the comparative lack of striker quality in the Premier League - and world football as a whole - since the 2000s. How do the new faces stack up against the established starters in the Premier League? Who gets snubbed? Which newcomers still have a point to prove before they can be ranked highly? Here are the top 10 strikers in the Premier League for the 2025/26 season as we come out of a very busy summer transfer market. 10. Liam Del...
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The 10 best Arsenal Women players of all time
29Aug By Joe SorianoNo Comments
All-Time Lists

The 10 best Arsenal Women players of all time

If you look up the list of the clubs with the most FA WSL titles in history, you'd get the impression that Chelsea are the greatest team of all time in women's English football, as they've won eight FA WSL titles to Arsenal's three. But when you expand to all English women's leagues under any name, Arsenal are the ones who come out clear winners with 15 titles to their credit. And if there were any doubts that Arsenal are the greatest side in women's football in England, they put that all to rest by being the first English team to win the Champions League since they themselves last did it in 2007. So yes, they are the only women's team in England to have won the Champions League. So naturally, Arsenal have a rich history of great players, and to honor that, I want to give you, in no ...
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