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.
Where does Antony rank among LaLiga’s best players right now?
Analysis

Where does Antony rank among LaLiga’s best players right now?

Manchester United loanee Antony looks like a completely different man since moving from Old Trafford to the Benito Villamarin, and ever since he's joined Real Betis, Los Verdiblancos have been the second highest performing team in LaLiga after league title favorite Barcelona. Isco has been splendid, too, and was instrumental in the 2-1 win over former employers Real Madrid, but Antony has unmistakably been the star of the show. But where, exactly, does Antony rank? Both in terms of form and overall quality. It's a difficult question to ask since Antony has just joined LaLiga and previously had a poor reputation as a nearly 100 million euro transfer flop for Manchester United. Form and class are two distinct entities, and, because of that, it becomes additionally difficult to asses...
3 players Liverpool must sign in order to win the Champions League
Transfer News

3 players Liverpool must sign in order to win the Champions League

Although Liverpool reached the final in 2022, they haven't won the Champions League since 2019 when they completed a historic comeback win over Barcelona and then dispatched Premier League rivals Tottenham in the final with Jurgen Klopp as manager. In Arne Slot's first season at the helm, Liverpool were actually favored to win the Champions League after placing first in the league phase, but their weaknesses were exposed by PSG. They were eliminated on penalties, but, in truth, were outplayed over two legs by Luis Enrique's men. Liverpool should still be able to skate to the Premier League title this season, but more work needs to be done in the summer 2025 transfer window if the Reds want to recapture Champions League glory. Here are five superstar players Liverpool must target t...
Latest injury update on Trent Alexander-Arnold return
Injury News

Latest injury update on Trent Alexander-Arnold return

Liverpool star right back Trent Alexander-Arnold has been out since the Reds' second leg Champions League Round of 16 defeat to PSG with a high-ankle sprain, which has caused him to miss one game so far. According to a report from James Pearce of The Athletic, Alexander-Arnold is targeting an April return from his injury, meaning his return to Liverpool should be right around the corner. Alexander-Arnold was not called up by England manager Thomas Tuchel for the March international fixtures due to the injury. Liverpool will play against Merseyside Derby rivals Everton next in the Premier League on Apr. 2. After that Liverpool will battle a solid Fulham side on Apr. 6 on the road before returning home to battle West Ham on Apr. 13. Leicester City and Tottenham are the final two rem...
Dortmund willing to sell eight players in summer 2025 transfer window
Transfer News

Dortmund willing to sell eight players in summer 2025 transfer window

With all due respect to Manchester United and Tottenham, Borussia Dortmund have to be the most disappointing team domestically in European football, as they have inexplicably fallen all the way to 11th in the Bundesliga. Even though Dortmund are into the quarterfinals of the Champions League after coming from behind against Ligue 1 side Lille, their pursuits in league play have been beyond abysmal, currently ranking behind such stalwarts as Augsburg. Dortmund need a complete overhaul of their squad, and they could let as many as eight players go in the summer 2025 transfer market - both a mix of stars who will generate revenue and players who are no longer of use to the squad. BILD reports that defender Niklas Sule, midfielder Salih Ozcan, and attacking midfielder Giovanni Reyna a...
Liverpool star Ryan Gravenberch now has injury concern
Injury News

Liverpool star Ryan Gravenberch now has injury concern

Liverpool are reeling right now, having lost the Carabao Cup Final this past weekend to Newcastle 2-1 after being eliminated from the Champions League Round of 16 in heartbreaking fashion to PSG on penalties. Now, Liverpool may have another worry on their hands, as one of their best players of the season, center midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, has just suffered an injury blow. Providing further evidence of the insidiously useless nature of the international "breaks", top footballing insider Fabrizio Romano reports that Gravenberch was forced to leave the Netherlands this week with an injury of unspecified nature. He will return to Liverpool for further evaluation by his club. Liverpool hold a 12-point lead at the top of the Premier League table over Arsenal, so while their title hope...
Roberto Mancini to meet with Juventus over manager job
Transfer News

Roberto Mancini to meet with Juventus over manager job

Heading into the March international break, Juventus sit just fifth in the Serie A table and are at serious risk of missing out on Champions League football next season in Thiago Motta's first campaign at the helm. Motta led Bologna to the Champions League last season in a fairytale campaign, helping Riccardo Calafiori and Joshua Zirkzee achieve breakout seasons that earned them big-money transfers to the Premier League in summer 2024. Now, Thiago Motta is the leading actor of a severely underperforming Juventus side, and he's effectively discarded some of Italian football's biggest talents, including striker Dusan Vlahovic and No. 10 Kenan Yildiz. Although Juventus have relayed words of affirmation for Motta's job security, the fact that there are reports circulating about possib...
Man United dominate Transfermarkt’s most valuable Premier League U21 players
Transfer News

Man United dominate Transfermarkt’s most valuable Premier League U21 players

Manchester United have been one of the most disappointing teams in European football this season, and they are nowhere near competing for a European place next season with little turn-around in results despite the appointment of Ruben Amorim as manager. But there are reasons to believe in a bright future for Manchester United, as they have a number of talented young players who are a clear identity and cohesive scheme away from truly shining. In fact, Transfermarkt released an updated list of its most valuable players in terms of worth on the open transfer market, and Manchester United had the most players in the top 10 of the list of the most valuable U21 players in the Premier League. Arsenal, Manchester City, Bournemouth, and Tottenham all had two players each, but Manchester U...
Manchester United still want to sign Xavi Simons
Transfer News

Manchester United still want to sign Xavi Simons

Much of the transfer rumor mill speculation surrounding Manchester United has understandably focused on their need for goals, and top-class No. 9's like Victor Osimhen and Benjamin Sesko are the most frequently mentioned players. But given Manchester United are 13th in the Premier League table, they clearly need more than just striker help if they want to get back to their usual standing as a top-four side in English football. According to a report from Sky Sports Germany's Florian Plettenberg, Manchester United still want to sign Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig this summer and are actually hoping to sign a "versatile attacking midfielder" in the coming window. Plettenberg confirms that Manchester United also remain interested in the top two young Bundesliga strikers on the transfer m...
Napoli begin talks for Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund
Transfer News

Napoli begin talks for Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund

Manchester United spent 64 million pounds, with an additional 8 million in add-ons, to sign Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta in the summer 2023 transfer window. At the time, Hojlund was one of the most intriguing talents in Serie A and one of the biggest emerging talents at the striker position, dazzling with his upside and explosive dribbling on the ball. Hojlund has found service, beyond the creation from captain Bruno Fernandes, to be difficult at Old Trafford, and he and fellow former Serie A standout Joshua Zirkzee have had trouble forging a connection up top. Manchester United still have hopes for Hojlund, but there are already rumblings of a potential transfer in the summer 2025 window, and a Serie A title contender may be interested in bringing Hojlund back to a league that he se...
When is Manuel Neuer returning from injury for Bayern Munich?
Injury News

When is Manuel Neuer returning from injury for Bayern Munich?

Bayern Munich star goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has been out since Mar. 5 with a torn muscle fiber in his right calf that he suffered during a 3-0 blowout win over Bundesliga title rivals Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16. The young Jonas Urbig, acquired from FC Koln in the winter transfer window, has ably stepped in for Neuer as the club's most promising backup in years, but the German footballing legend's return is soon on the horizon. According to a report from Sky Sports Germany's Florian Plettenberg, Neuer is working hard on his comeback at the club facilities and is targeting a Mar. 29 return date against bottom-half Bundesliga side St. Pauli. The fixture will be Bayern's first after the international break, and it will be a chance for Neuer to...