Paris Saint-Germain will head into the 2024/25 season as the overwhelming favorites to win the Ligue 1 title for the 13th time in their history.
While backing against PSG in the French top flight is generally an exercise in futility, it has been a completely different story in the Champions League.
They blew a golden opportunity to reach the final last season but exited the competition in the last four after suffering a 2-0 aggregate defeat against Borussia Dortmund.
PSG are rated as 16/1 shots on football betting sites to lift the prestigious trophy next term, and manager Luis Enrique has made it clear he expects them to mount a serious challenge.
Enrique reportedly wants ‘new players for every position’ to ensure there is competition for places across the PSG first-team squad.
With that in mind, we look at some of the transfer moves the club could make this summer before assessing whether they can make a flying start to the new campaign.
PSG – Summer Transfers 2024/25
The biggest challenge facing PSG this summer will be to replace Kylian Mbappe, who is finally set to secure this dream move to Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has been touted as a potential replacement, but several other top European clubs are battling to secure his services.
Teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is another PSG target, although it is doubtful whether Napoli would be willing to sanction the sale of two top players in the same transfer window.
A more realistic signing could be Rodrygo, whose future in Spain has been the subject of speculation since Mbappe’s move to Madrid was confirmed.
He already faces competition from Vinicius Junior for a place in the starting XI, and things are unlikely to get any easier with Mbappe set to join the squad.
Marcus Rashford has also been linked with PSG after an underwhelming season at Manchester United, but he has made it clear he wants to stay with the club.
Teammate Jadon Sancho could be a viable alternative, given that the Premier League giants are keen to get the winger off their wage bill this summer.
While the identity of Mbappe’s replacement remains unclear, PSG have already been making moves to strengthen the rest of their squad.
Russian goalkeeper Matvey Safonov has signed for them until 2029 and will battle with Gianluigi Donnarumma for the number-one position.
Defensive reinforcements are also in the pipeline, with Ronald Araujo and Edmond Tapsoba among the potential candidates to join the club.
Barcelona could sell Araujo as they strive to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations, while Tapsoba has been strongly linked with a move away from Bayer Leverkusen.
Olympique Lyonnais star Rayan Cherki could also be on his way to PSG to bolster their midfield options after they recently made an offer for the player.
Lyon rejected PSG’s bid, but it would be no surprise if they made another attempt to secure his services over the next few weeks.
Numerous other players have also been linked with the club, so the summer transfer window promises to be intriguing for PSG supporters.
PSG – Early Season Fixtures 2024/25
PSG lick off their Ligue 1 campaign on August 18 at Le Havre. Here are their fixtures for the early part of the season:
- August 18 – Le Havre (A)
- August 25 – Montpellier (H)
- September 1 – Lille (A)
- September 15 – Brest (H)
- September 22 – Reims (A)
- September 29 – Rennes (H)
- October 6 – Nice (A)
- October 20 – Strasbourg (H)
- October 27 – Marseille (A)
Enrique’s side have been handed a fairly tricky start to the new season, with five of their opening nine league fixtures against teams that finished in the top half of the table last season.
Trips to Lille, Nice, and Marseille all have the potential to be difficult, and PSG will be eager to avoid any major slip-ups during the early part of the campaign.
They won just three of their opening seven Ligue 1 matches last season (D3, L1) before finally clicking into gear from October onwards.
Their early season schedule will be punctuated by involvement in the revamped Champions League, which features 36 teams in the group stage for the first time.
PSG faces three matches in UEFA’s top club competition before the end of October and will be desperate to make an early impression.
Enrique has stressed that winning the Champions League is his main priority, and he will be keen to show that his aim is more than a pipedream.
The key to their hopes of success next season undoubtedly rests on adequately replacing Mbappe, whose departure leaves a gaping hole in the squad.
However, if PSG makes the right moves, there is no reason why they cannot mount a serious bid to become European champions for the first time.
