French Ligue 1 – Short 2021/22 Season Preview

The French Ligue 1 had an interesting last weekend with the Super Cup taking place. The reigning champions, Lille, won the trophy, snapping PSG’s eight-year domination in that competition.

It is yet another indicator that the situation in French football is maybe changing and that the wealthy Saints might not be that dominant as before. Though they are determined to bounce back following a disastrous last year, and their activity during the transfer window is clear proof of that. 

PSG Reclaiming the Throne

Mauricio Pochettino has only one mission this year, and that is to get the Saints on top of the French Ligue 1. Overall looking, they have the best team in the entire competition, but that was the case during the previous season, and look what happened. Still, for us, PSG is the No.1 candidate for snatching the silverware this season. 

“Losing the title, losing in the Champions League semis left us with a bitter taste in our mouths,” Pochettino said. “We want to win all the competitions.”

Olympic Lyon, Monaco, and the reigning champions, Lille, are the biggest favorites to win the other three places, which would earn them the ticket for the next year’s UEFA Champions League. However, we need to add that Lyon lost two of its best players, Memphis Depay and Joachim Andersen. The Kids will probably compete with a highly talented Rennais for that fourth and the last spot in the UCL zone. 

Hakimi’s Transfer by Far the Highest

Achraf Hakimi landed at Parc des Princes for £57 million, which PSG had to pay to Inter Milan. The fantastic wing-back is more than two and a half times valuable than the first guy behind him on the list, Gerson, who arrived in Marseille from Flamengo for £21 million. 

The Moroccan will no doubt be a fantastic addition to the already outstanding team PSG has. 

The highest-paid transfer for one player to leave one French club was Boubakary Soumare’s, who left Lille to join Leicester City for £17 million.

Donnarumma, Wijnaldum, and Ramos Add More Superstar Spice

The two guys who put the French Ligue One in focus this offseason were Sergio Ramos and Georginio Wijnaldum. The first came from Real Madrid and the second from Liverpool, both without any expenses.

We saw the same scenario with Gianluigi Donnarumma, the best player of the last EURO, only his move came later this summer. He arrived from AC Milan without a single pound invested as well, and unlike with Ramos and Wijnaldum, his future worth has tremendous potential. 

We can say without any hesitation that all these three guys are superstars of Neymar and Mbappe’s caliber. 

Jeremy Doku – The Rising Star

We saw what are the capabilities of this teenage winger at the recent continental tournament. Doku was by far the biggest surprise in the Belgian team, drawing the spotlights each time he stepped on the pitch. At 18 years of age, this kid is already an indispensable part of Rennes’ lineup, and along with another wunderkind, Edouardo Camavinga, forms a flamboyant duo that is yet to explode. That is why we’ve mentioned Rennes as one of the biggest contenders for entering the top four teams. 

Doku will stay here for at least one more year, and he already stated that before the start of this campaign.

“I still have a lot to learn and Rennes is the ideal place for that,” the young Belgian said. 

Another Frustrating Year for Marseille

The former European champions are drowning in mediocrity for the last couple of years, and apart from the occasional shines, they are constantly delivering frustrations to their fans. We’ve seen some nasty scenes surrounding the club, with the ultras displaying their anger, and even though the team had a busy summer, many agree that Marseille won’t have what it takes to play a big role in the upcoming championship.