In what was undoubtedly the biggest piece of transfer news to be broken over the course of the summer, Lionel Messi has finally called time or perhaps time was called for him, on his stint with Barcelona.
One that before the sensational August news, saw the Argentine ply his full and lengthy club career at the Camp Nou and with the coffers considerably empty in Catalunya, Messi was told that there was not enough money to extend his time with the legendary Spanish outfit.
An announcement that sent shock waves around the footballing world and as soon as confirmation of an impending departure was made public around the globe, the discussion turned to just where Messi would end up next.
A discussion that for a man of such incredible talent could only ever involve a small number of clubs and with PSG eventually winning what was only really a two-horse race for his signature, it has generated a considerable amount of interest towards Ligue 1 this season.
To the point where a two-horse race for his signature, has now become a one-horse race in terms of who will win this season’s French league championship and when you consider that PSG fell short last time around, they are certainly not in the mood to fail again.
Some will say that PSG had something of a mitigating circumstance last season, as they were pipped to the Ligue 1 crown by largely unfancied Lille and that mitigation comes in the form of Mauricio Pochettino’s mid-season appointment.
One that saw him take the Parc des Princes reins from Thomas Tuchel and although the former Tottenham boss would have an eye-watering level of talent to work with, he could also say that the squad he inherited was not fully his.
Now though, such a suggestion would be considered laughable and with Messi also joining the likes of Sergio Ramos, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Gigi Wijnaldum as new faces to the French capital this summer, PSG are now starting to resemble the Harlem Globetrotters.
On the ball! ⚽️🧤 @PSG_inside #WeAreParis #AllezParis pic.twitter.com/2Fai2s45H7
— Gianluigi Donnarumma (@gigiodonna1) August 16, 2021
Of course, one must remember that the Globetrotters play for nothing more than fun and it is not always about the end result – something that will certainly not be the case as far as Pochettino’s charges are concerned.
Because PSG are now nothing more than a footballing juggernaut ready to crush anyone who attempts to get in their way and for those online sports betting sites that offer Ligue 1 markets, they will likely be offering incredibly short odds for a 2021/22 title tilt.
To the point where, it might not even make any sense to make such a long-term investment and instead the without PSG market, may be one that is more favourable in terms of value towards punters.
When the 2019/20 champions are taken out of the equation, the playing field becomes a lot more level and with Lille hoping to win back-to-back league crowns, they may have to make do with just being the best of the rest.
A mantle that Monaco may also have to deal with, as far as this season is concerned and although the Monte Carlo outfit are the only other club to have got the better of PSG in terms of recent championship victories, they are unlikely to push them all the way this time.
Because when you look at the personnel that is within the PSG ranks this season, it really is case of not if they win Ligue 1, more a case of just how many points they will run away with such a coveted prize.
Of course, Messi and his fellow summer cohorts have not been purchased with just domestic dominance in mind and with the club’s Qatari owners still on the hunt for a first Champions League crown, they will hope that 2022 is finally the year in which they conquer Europe.
When you think of it, they have literally every tool at their disposal in which to do so, and that will be the true measure of just how good this squad actually is. If they do manage to deliver success on the continent, then the eye-watering wages of Lionel Messi will be worth every single last Euro.
