PSG's year to win the Champions League, difficulty for Juventus, and a return of Barcelona? A Status Report on Super Clubs

This summer, a big-name player or a promising young player would sign for an unexpected team in England every third day, and the transfer would be followed by the same argument: The Premier League is already the Super League, so we don't need a separate league.

I mean... Okay, I admit it; I have been saying the same thing for years. The Premier League is the richest league in the world by a wide margin. A record $2.2 billion was spent by English clubs during the summer transfer window, surpassing the combined spending of Ligue 1, Serie A, and Bundesliga teams. The European superclubs haven't been significantly harmed by the off-field economic edge, at least not yet, even though it has gradually turned into an advantage in competition on-field.

Only a few years have passed since the beginning of nearly a decade-long period when it appeared that only Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, or Juventus could win the Champions League. And according to Off the Pitch's 2021 financial statistics, Barcelona paid the second-highest salary of any team in Europe, after only Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Juventus. To start? Paris Saint-Germain, nor any English teams.