This summer has perhaps seen the most busiest and ludicrous summer transfer deals in the history of European football. From Neymar’s squash buckling 222m euro transfer to PSG to 20-year-old Ousmane Dembele overtaking the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Paul Pogba, becoming the second most expensive player to date.
Make no mistake, this season’s fight for the Champions League throne is definitely going to get down to the wire, as several teams solidify their rosters before the start of the season.
In this article, we will take a look at three of the biggest European teams this season, who can pose a strong claim for the title this season.
PSG – Ligue 1 – France
The big spenders of summer 2017, PSG were the ones to break the world record transfer and sign Neymar for an astonishing fee of 222 million euros. However, Neymar isn’t the only star in the team.
From top to bottom, PSG’s squad is full of great footballing talents this season. Especially in the attack, they possess the strong offensive trio of Edinson Cavani, Neymar and Angel Di Maria whilst also signing last season’s young sensation, Kylian Mbappe. Apart from these offensive wonder talents, PSG also have German midfielder Julian Draxler, and former Newcastle man Hatem Ben Arfa.
It’s beyond argument that attack will be the primary weapon for the Parisians this season but that’s not to say that they lack defensive guard in the back. Their defence consists of Brazilian Internationals in Thiago Silva, Marquinhos and Daniel Alves. In midfield, the club boasts two of the most exciting midfield talents in Adrian Rabiot and Marco Verratti.
It will be exciting to see how the French giants fare under Unai Emery this season. They currently lead the Ligue 1 table with 12 points, with new signing Neymar being the focal point of their attack with three goals and three assists.
Bayern Munich – Bundesliga – Germany
The German Champions might not have spent such huge sum of money in the transfer market but thanks to their smart and efficient signings, the Bavarians will pose a strong challenge for the Champions League title this term.
Niklas Sule, Sebastian Rudy and James Rodriguez were all key acquisitions for the Bundesliga champions. While Sule and Rudy have already hit the ground running in the new season, James’ return from injury will usher in more attacking firepower for Bayern, who seem intent on bringing the Champions League home after four years of disappointment at the hands of the Spanish teams.
The Bavarians possess an old yet an experienced set of players, who know exactly what it takes to lift the coveted title. Robert Lewandowski is their main man up front, with Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery providing deliveries from the wings. Thomas Muller, James Rodriguez and Kingsley Coman are the offensive backups.
They have one of the best midfield trios in Europe with Thiago Alcantara, Arturo Vidal teaming up with new signing Corentin Tolisso, who has been brilliant so far this season.
Bayern had a good start to their league campaign, though their performances in the two games, were largely criticized. They are second behind Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga table, but only due to an inferior goal difference.
Real Madrid – LaLiga – Spain
Of course, the list is incomplete without the inclusion of the European footballing giants. The club with the haul of a sensational 12 Champions League/European Cup crowns.
Last season, they broke the famous trend by successfully defending their Champions League crown for the first time in the history. But can they convert their tally to a third consecutive time?
As cheesy as it sounds, it may be possible considering the squad they have got. Los Merengues haven’t been particularly active in the transfer activity this summer, only signing a couple of players with a relatively lower fee. However, they have been very active in getting rid of players who were surplus to the requirements. Danilo, Alvaro Morata and James Rodriguez, were all shown the exit door this summer.
But that loss was recovered by the signings of Dani Ceballos and Theo Hernandez. With the former expected to fill in James’ shoes and Hernandez, being the backup of the first choice left back Marcelo.
The famous ‘BBC’ trio of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema will remain intact this season, plus coach Zinedine Zidane will also have the services of Lucas Vazquez, Dani Ceballos and Isco to choose from.
Real’s biggest strength, however, comes from midfield. They have by far the most jam-packed midfield in Europe right now with world class players like Toni Kroos and Luka Modric effectively serving as the lynchpin in the middle third.
Casemiro’s contributions to the team cannot be undermined either. Their biggest gain would be the breakout of young sensation Marco Asensio. The 21-year-old is perhaps the most exciting youngster going into the season, having impressed for both club and country in the early season.
