Aurier arrival and landing Luiz make PSG firm favourites in France

PSG lost just three games en route to picking up another Ligue 1 crown last term, and Coral make the French capital club strong odds-on 1/7 favourites for a third straight top-flight title.

Laurent Blanc carried on Carlo Ancelotti’s excellent work, but is not content to rest on his laurels as the Parisians boss has brought in two players to strengthen his side, despite the strictures of Financial Fair Play sanctions.

A host of Premier League clubs were tracking highly-rated Ivory Coast right back Serge Aurier, but he will have the opportunity to audition his talents at the highest level by playing Champions League football on loan from Toulouse. This was a major coup for PSG, though does raise doubts about the future of Dutchman Gregory van der Wiel.

If Aurier can regularly replicate his showing in his country’s World Cup opener, where he made two assists to help the Ivory Coast come from behind against Japan, then Blanc has made a brilliant signing. David Luiz, for a cool €50m, is the other Parc des Princes arrival.

Debate continues to rage about what the former Chelsea man’s best position is. In big games he can be a liability at centre back, see that 7-1 German demolition of Brazil for a demonstration of this. Perhaps Blanc will follow in Jose Mourinho and Rafa Benitez’s footsteps by playing Luiz in midfield, especially as the legs of Thiago Motta are ageing.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic just simply needs to keep scoring goals, though Blanc would also be wise to make a decision about Edinson Cavani, who has made his position clear about operating out wide. These two attackers have egos, but the former has done far better in backing it up by performing on the pitch in Paris.

Mega-rich Monaco are touted to once again be PSG’s closest challengers. Bankrolled by Russian billions, they are 13/2 chances to take the title from the capital to the principality. Despite the wealth of benefactor Dmitry Rybolovlev, it’s been a summer of change there.

World Cup Golden Boot winner James Rodriguez simply could not be kept from clutches of Real Madrid, making a big-money dream move that could eventually see Monaco end up more than £70m better off. Every player, even at a club owned by an oligarch, has his price, then.