Football Season Guide

PSG missed out on the Ligue 1 title last season and also fell at the Champions League semi-finals, making it a wholly unsatisfactory season for the Parisian side. Unsurprisingly, there has been a reaction, with the capital club extremely active in the summer transfer window. They have plundered the free transfer market especially well, with Gini Wijnaldum, Sergio Ramos and Gigio Donnarumma all arriving for no transfer fee. On top of that trio, in has come Achraf Hakimi from Inter – one of the most exciting right-back prospects in the world game. The latest arrival is of course Lionel Messi who left Barcelona in tears, appearing in a PSG shirt a few days later for the great unveiling in the French capital. Meanwhile, PSG have secured the long-term future of several key players, including Angel Di Maria and Neymar, although the failure of Kylian Mbappe to sign a new deal is an issue that could potentially dog their season and draw attention away from what is happening on the field. Certainly, PSG have no clear area of weakness currently – and arguably a bigger issue could be discontent from star players unable to get game time. Certainly, this threatens to be an issue in goal, where Donnarumma and Keylor Navas will square off. In defence, PSG look strong, with Marquinhos and Ramos the two foremost central options, flanked by Hakimi and Juan Bernat, who should be fit again in early September. Layvin Kurzawa will feature until then. There is a litany of options in the centre of the park, where Marco Verratti will once again be the anchor, with Wijnaldum expected to provide a little dynamism going forward that was missing at times last season. Depending how Mauricio Pochettino wants to play, he has various other options to fill the other berth. In attack, of course, PSG will be spearheaded by the mouthwatering trio of Neymar, Lionel Messi and Mbappe, with Angel Di Maria and Mauro Icardi playing supporting roles. Arnaud Kaliumuendo has impressed in pre-season.