📝Bio: Soham has been living and breathing football stories for almost a decade, carving his path as a news and SEO writer with an instinct for the big moments. Armed with an MA (Honours) in Sports Journalism from Symbiosis International University, he knew early on that his future wouldn’t be on the pitch but behind the pen, shaping narratives about the game he adores. He joined GOAL in 2017 and has since made his mark covering the Indian Super League, I-League, and the Indian national team. Based in Kolkata, where football is a religion, he grew up watching Bhaichung Bhutia scoring goals for fun in India, before falling head over heels for Real Madrid, a club that now dictates the rhythm of his everyday life.⚽My Football Story: It all began back in 2002. A cricket bat in hand, ready to step out, but then the skies opened up. The rain kept me indoors, and that twist of fate led me to the sofa, beside my father, who had a football match on TV. Little did I know at the time but it was the World Cup final: Brazil vs Germany. Forget the goals – what grabbed my imagination was Ronaldo’s haircut and his iconic celebration. From there, cricket slowly faded and football fever took over. By my teenage years, I was sneaking out of bed at 1am to watch the Champions League - fair to say I was hooked for life.
🎯Areas of Expertise:
Social media-specific content
Premier League, Champions League, European & Indian football coverage
Tactical analysis on the Indian national team
World Cup & European Championship tournaments
🌟Favourite Footballing Memory: The day Mohun Bagan demolished East Bengal 5-3 in the Kolkata Derby, with Chidi Edeh scoring four - a moment when the city turned maroon and green. But nothing beats the spine-tingling sight of Sergio Ramos’ 93rd-minute header in Lisbon, the goal that crowned Real Madrid’s La Decima and etched itself into footballing history.📝My All-Time XI: Iker Casillas; Phillip Lahm, Sergio Ramos, Fabio Cannavaro, Roberto Carlos; Claude Makélélé, Ronaldinho, Zinedine Zidane; Cristiano Ronaldo, Raúl, Lionel Messi.
Arsenal’s pursuit of Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres has hit an impasse, with discussions over the transfer structure reaching a frustrating deadlock. Talks with Sporting Lisbon have made little headway in recent days, resulting in growing despondency among those closest to the player.
Liverpool have submitted a €90 million (£78m/$105m) bid to Eintracht Frankfurt for French striker Hugo Ekitike. Sky Sports have revealed that an agreement in principle has been established between Liverpool and Eintracht Frankfurt, laying the groundwork for what could soon become one of the most significant deals of the summer.
Manchester United have flown to the United States to begin their Premier League Summer Series campaign, but one notable name is missing from the travelling squad, Harry Maguire. The England international has not joined his teammates on the flight to Chicago due to a "personal matter", per multiple reports.
Charly Alcaraz etched his name into the Everton record books by becoming the first senior men’s team player to find the back of the net at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. They registered a 2-1 win over Port Vale on Tuesday afternoon in a behind-closed-doors friendly, marking the beginning of a new era for the Merseyside club.
Arsenal have reached a full agreement with Sporting CP to sign Viktor Gyokeres in a transfer valued at €63.5 million (£55m/$74m) upfront, with an additional €10m (£8.6m/$12m) in performance-based add-ons. The final breakthrough came after protracted discussions over the structure and attainability of the bonus payments, which had previously stalled the move despite a general agreement on the main fee.
David de Gea, the former Manchester United goalkeeper, has addressed the saga of his failed transfer to Real Madrid back in 2015. While still choosing to keep many of the details under wraps, the Spaniard hinted that he will eventually share the full story, but only after he hangs up his gloves for good.
Gary Lineker defended Marcus Rashford over his poor spell at Manchester United and believes that he will succeed at Barcelona. The England international is on the verge of sealing a season-long loan deal to the Spanish champions, in what many see as a bold attempt to reignite his career after a challenging spell at Old Trafford.
Aston Villa paid a heartfelt tribute to Black Sabbath frontman and music legend Ozzy Osbourne, who passed away aged 76. Osbourne performed his final live show at Villa Park, a homecoming farewell concert attended by 42,000 fans. The concert, dubbed Back To The Beginning, was staged as a celebration of Osbourne’s monumental career and life in music.
West Ham United may have to vacate the London Stadium temporarily if the 2029 World Athletics Championships are awarded to the city. Last week, the UK government officially committed to supporting the bid financially, pledging £35 million ($47m) from the Treasury. An additional £10m ($13.5m) was also secured from the Mayor of London’s office, taking the total public funding support to £45m ($61m).
Ian Wright has weighed in on the Lionesses' decision to no longer take the knee before matches, expressing that, had he still been an active player, he would consider continuing the act as a personal symbol of standing against racism. The former England and Arsenal striker emphasised that taking the knee should always have been an individual choice rather than a mandated team action.
Lucy Bronze insists the Lionesses have no need to prove themselves despite scraping into the Euro 2025 semi-finals and final. On Monday, they overturned a 1–0 deficit to beat Italy 2–1 in extra time thanks to a stoppage-time equaliser from 19‑year‑old Michelle Agyemang and a dramatic penalty rebound goal by Chloe Kelly.
Arsenal kicked off their summer tour with a 1-0 triumph over AC Milan in a tightly-contested friendly held at the National Stadium in Singapore. The encounter, which marked the first pre-season fixture for both clubs, saw Bukayo Saka net the only goal of the game, giving Mikel Arteta’s side an early boost in their preparations for the upcoming campaign. However, the game still went to a penalty shootout.
Bayern Munich’s rising talent, Lee Hyunju, has signed with Portuguese club FC Arouca, but it wasn’t the transfer itself that grabbed headlines. Instead, it was the club’s unique and hilarious announcement that went viral on the internet as it was inspired by Astronomer CEO, Andy Byron's kiss cam moment, at a Coldplay concert.
Barcelona have confirmed the arrival of Marcus Rashford on a season-long loan, with the England international handed the iconic No.14 shirt. The jersey carries deep historical weight at Camp Nou, previously worn by legendary figures such as Thierry Henry and Javier Mascherano.
Barcelona have officially announced the cancellation of their pre-season friendly against Japanese club Vissel Kobe, which was scheduled to take place this Sunday, July 27. The Catalan giants were set to fly out to Japan on Thursday morning at 11am local time, but that plan has now been abandoned following what the club has described as a “serious contractual breach” by the promoter responsible for organising the fixture.
Chelsea are reportedly pushing forward to finalise the signing of Ajax’s highly-rated defender Jorrel Hato, with the Premier League side now entering the latter stages of negotiations after reaching an agreement with the player on personal terms. While no deal has been reached between the two clubs yet, the transfer fee currently being discussed is in the region of €40 million (£35m/$47m).
Manchester United are facing the growing possibility of concluding the summer transfer window without securing the striker reinforcement they desperately need. The club’s efforts to bolster their frontline have hit a wall following unsuccessful pursuits of Liam Delap, Hugo Ekitike, and Viktor Gyokeres.
Bayern Munich are set to launch a renewed attempt to sign Luis Díaz from Liverpool, with a second offer reportedly on the cards. While Díaz remains with the Liverpool squad during their pre-season tour in Asia, discussions surrounding his potential departure have intensified behind the scenes.
Marcus Rashford has officially swapped Manchester for Barcelona and while the deal represents a significant opportunity for the player to rediscover his best form, club legend Rivaldo has poured cold water on any suggestions that the English forward will walk into the starting XI, particularly at the expense of Raphinha. Rashford has moved on a one-year loan deal and the Spanish giants retain the option to make the deal permanent next summer for a fee of £30 million.
Arsenal have unveiled Cristhian Mosquera as their latest summer acquisition, securing the young centre-back from Valencia for an initial fee of €15 million (£13m/$18m). However, performance-related bonuses could see the final fee climb to €20 (£17m/$23m). The 21-year-old Spanish defender has signed a five-year contract that ties him to the Emirates Stadium until June 2030, with an option to extend the agreement by an additional year.