Luis Enrique and PSG aim to make history, and the rest of Europe is working to stop them. This week marks the start of the league phase of a Champions League that could place the Spanish coach and the French team in the competition's golden books. They have won the last two European Cups and are just one title away from being the third team to win three in a row. Real Madrid did it twice, and Ajax once, prompting the big clubs of the old continent to spend £1.37 billion to build squads capable of defeating the Asturian coach. In turn, Luis Enrique has adjusted the project by selling players for £290 million to maintain the hunger of a squad that wants more.
Manchester City (£452,16), Liverpool (£231,66), Arsenal (£227.1), Real Madrid (£195,14), Barcelona (£158,11), Atlético de Madrid (£105,69), and Bayern (£91,94) have spent £1,43 billion, rebuilding and arming themselves decisively to overcome PSG. The figure explains the reaction. All have realized they need more than what was shown in the previous two seasons to defeat the French team.
The three English clubs are going all out. City, now without Guardiola and under Maresca's command, has been the club that has invested the most money. After several seasons without reaching the spring knockout stages, the departures of Rodri and Bernardo Silva have sparked a real revolution. They have spent almost £343million just to revamp their midfield: £124,6 for Enzo Fernández, £116 for Elliot Anderson, £85,93for Bouaddi, in addition to £64,45 for winger Iliman Ndiaye.
Arsenal, the current continental runner-up and Premier League winner, is one of the top teams set to challenge PSG. They have a solid project, a coach with years at the club, and a core with Raya, Gabriel, Rice, Odegaard, or Saka. This summer, they have added Guimarães from Newcastle, Konsa from Aston Villa, and Tzolis from Club Brugge, along with confirming the purchase of defender Hincapié, who played on loan for the team last season. These arrivals make Arteta's squad even stronger, although they missed out on signing Julián or Vinicius, whom they were interested in.
Liverpool, who was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the last Champions League by PSG, has entrusted their project to Iraola and made the second most expensive signing this summer: Barcola, the winger from PSG, signed for £116 million. A player that Luis Enrique was forced to sell because he wanted more playing time. Alongside him, Spanish player Víctor Muñoz and French defender Jacquet from Stade Rennes have arrived. Iraola is still lacking a central midfielder, but the board trusts him to face the first season without Salah.
Among the favourites, Bayern has spent the least, just over £85,93 million (£91,94) on two players: Moroccan Saibari, one of the revelations of the last World Cup, and German full-back Brown. A few months ago, they were eliminated in the semi-finals against PSG after a crazy tie that ended 6-5 in favor of the French side, and this season they aim to finally touch metal.
Meanwhile, LaLiga is still waiting. After Real Madrid's titles in 2022 and 2024, both Barcelona and Atlético have fallen just short of the final in the last two years. Barcelona, dominant in Spain, has struggled to translate that superiority into the later rounds of European competitions. In 2023, they were stopped by Inter, and last season by Atlético. To avoid a third failure in Flick's project, they have signed Rodri, Gordon, and Adeyemi. They lack a traditional number nine as they couldn't sign Julián, but for now, it seems that Raphinha has taken on that role.
Atlético, with an upset Julián and with Kang-In Lee, Hjulmand, Cuti Romero, and Grimaldo as main additions, will try to achieve European glory in what seems to be one of Simeone's last chances, after coming close to a feat in the semi-finals last year.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, relies on Mourinho to manage a team of stars that have failed for two years. Diomande, the club's most expensive signing, Bernardo Silva, Cucurella, Konaté, Dumfries, and Espí, are the known reinforcements. They didn't bring in a central midfielder, but at the Bernabéu, they continue to insist that Mourinho, above all, is the solution to a talented squad. On the horizon, the threat of PSG potentially matching the three consecutive titles of Zidane's team a decade ago.