📝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.
Raheem Sterling has reportedly shut the door on lucrative offers from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and the United States, instead vowing to remain in London and wait for the January window to open. The 30-year-old forward has no intention of uprooting his young family from the capital and will continue training away from Chelsea’s main squad at Cobham.
Lucas Paqueta’s rollercoaster battle with the Football Association has reached its climax and the West Ham star has avoided the nightmare of a suspension. Instead, the Brazilian midfielder will reportedly be forced to swallow a six-figure fine after being found guilty of failing to cooperate fully with the governing body’s investigation.
Liverpool overcame Bournemouth 4-2 in their season opener, yet the result paled in comparison to the scenes that unfolded at the final whistle when Mohamed Salah, usually the picture of composure, broke down in front of the Kop. The club and its supporters were still reeling from the tragic death of Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, and their passing cast a painful shadow over Anfield.
Manchester United have unveiled Senne Lammens as their newest recruit in a deal worth up to £21.7 million ($29m), but reports have revealed that Leeds and Sunderland had backed away from him over concerns of his suitability in the Premier League. United could have opted for proven Premier League quality in Aston Villa’s World Cup-winning Emi Martinez, yet the Old Trafford hierarchy instead banked on the promise of a 23-year-old.
Oliver Glasner revealed his Crystal Palace ambitions after stopping Marc Guehi from swapping south London for Liverpool. The Austrian coach refused to sanction the centre-back’s sale to the Reds, even though the deal would have added £35 million into Crystal Palace’s account. However, with his contract running down and no extension in sight, Palace face the grim prospect of losing their skipper for free in 2026..
Anthony Gordon penned an emotional goodbye to his "brother" Alexander Isak after seeing his Newcastle team-mate leave St. James' Park. The summer-long drama surrounding Isak finally reached its conclusion, with the Swedish forward sealing a record-breaking £125 million ($169m) switch from Tyneside to Liverpool on transfer deadline day.
Manchester United have refused the chance to force their way back into the Carabao Cup, despite evidence that Grimsby Town fielded a player who had registration issues in their second-round tie. The League Two side, who dumped United out in a dramatic penalty shoot-out, were found guilty of breaching EFL rules but escaped with nothing more than a fine.
Marc Guehi has reportedly made it to clear to Crystal Palace that he will not extend his contract at Selhurst Park and instead plans to walk away for free next summer. The England international has been left furious after his dream move to Liverpool fell apart at the final hurdle on deadline day. The centre-back had been lined up for a £35 million switch to Anfield, with medical checks already underway, only for Palace to pull the plug in the dying hours of the window.
Aston Villa were torn to shreds for their "crimes" of Harvey Elliott's new shirt number following his transfer from Liverpool. The agreement comes with an obligation to buy him for £35 million next year under certain circumstances, while Liverpool protected themselves with both a buy-back and sell-on clause.
Jadon Sancho revealed that he received a glowing Aston Villa reference from Marcus Rashford with the Manchester United loanee "really inspired" by Unai Emery's plan for the season. After a troubled spell at Old Trafford and a brief stint on loan at Chelsea last season, the winger has chosen Villa Park as the stage for his revival.
Marc Guehi has reportedly been left "extremely unhappy" after his blockbuster £35 million transfer to ($47m) Liverpool was sensationally scrapped in the final hours of deadline day. The England defender had completed the first stage of his medical, with paperwork filed and even a private jet waiting to whisk him up to Merseyside, only for Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner to pull the plug.
Lamine Yamal has been named the best teenager in world football as three Chelsea wonderkids featured in the top 10. The Barcelona and Spain prodigy topped the CIES Football Observatory rankings with a remarkable average rating of 97.7, narrowly edging out some of the world’s finest emerging talents.
Grimsby brutally trolled Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim with a hilarious line-up announcement following their Carabao Cup heroics. It was the first time in history that United had ever been eliminated from the competition by a team from the fourth tier of English football.
Chelsea face a tough trip to Bayern Munich whereas Newcastle are set to host Barcelona in the opening week as UEFA announced Champions League fixtures for the 2025-26 campaign. The German giants, led by Harry Kane, will be eager to assert their dominance early, making Chelsea’s task all the more difficult.
Jarrod Bowen named one trophy he would love to win with West Ham as England star ruled out lifting the Premier League. With Graham Potter’s team under intense scrutiny after a humiliating start to the season, Bowen has shared his personal goal for the club this year: winning the FA Cup.
Jose Mourinho was spotted at the Istanbul airport waiting for his flight to leave Turkey after being sacked by Fenerbahce. Just two days after the Turkish club failed to secure a spot in the Champions League group stage, the Portuguese was shown the door. They were knocked out by Benfica in the Champions League play-off, losing 1-0 on aggregate.
Christopher Nkunku has officially joined AC Milan from Chelsea for a permanent fee of €42 million (£36.2m/$49m). The French forward has signed a five-year contract, keeping him at the club until 2030. This deal comes after a challenging and injury-ridden stint in West London, where Nkunku struggled to establish himself as a regular under Enzo Maresca.
Kobbie Mainoo’s future at Manchester United remains uncertain, with the 20-year-old midfielder determined to secure a loan move away from Old Trafford, despite the club's insistence that he stay and fight for his place. The England youth international has reiterated his desire to leave the club, particularly after his exclusion from the England squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, a decision made by manager Thomas Tuchel due to his lack of playing time.
Rasmus Hojlund could reportedly join Scott McTominay at Napoli after Manchester United agreed a deal with the Serie A giants. The deal is said to involve a season-long loan, with a €44million (£38m/$51.4m) obligation to buy, coupled with a loan fee, should Napoli secure Champions League qualification. However, the young striker, still 22, has not yet committed to the move.
Thomas Tuchel had a "difficult" phone call with Trent Alexander-Arnold to inform the defender of the England axe with the Three Lions boss keen to make squad "more spicy". The German manager confirmed that the Real Madrid right-back, once considered an automatic pick, was dropped after falling behind Reece James and rising star Tino Livramento in the pecking order.