Football Season Guide

PSG scooped the treble last season domestically and made something of a breakthrough in the Champions League as they made the semi-finals of the competition (at the time of writing). They remain a club with the highest standards and their sights will again fall on becoming the champions of Europe as they continue to seek to build their brand and legacy. How exactly they will line up this season remains unclear as this is unlikely to be resolved until after their Champions League campaign has concluded, yet there is going to be something of a changing of the guard. Fan favourite Edinson Cavani has already been let go, while Thiago Silva is set to leave, although the supporters are campaigning for him to stay another year. The likelihood is, though, that the squad will evolve. Critically, the futures of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe are at Parc des Princes for at least the next year, with the club hopeful that both will extend their contracts. Mauro Icardi will be the focal point in the attack, though performances in 2020 have been distinctly mediocre thus far from the Argentine. With Eric Choupo-Moting set to be released, another offensive option is required to bring them depth. The midfield, meanwhile, continues to operate to the beat of Marco Verratti, who is one of their irreplaceable players as he sets the tempo for the side, regardless if they are using a 4-3-3 or 4-2-2-2 system. Undoubtedly the area of concern is defence. At times they can be caught in a disorganised fashion at the back, particularly when teams are breaking at them quickly and even from set pieces. A new right-back is likely on their summer shopping list, while Juan Bernat has not been totally convincing on the left either. As things stand, Marquinhos and Presnel Kimpembe are set to be the starting centre-backs, though with the likes of Abdou Diallo and Thilo Kehrer, there is not a clear hierarchy, so there is a good deal of flexibility. Keylor Navas, meanwhile, has solved any goalkeeping issues PSG had, he has largely been outstanding.