Big spenders threaten to upset League hierarchy

The Champions League group stage starts on Tuesday with a match between traditional heavyweights Barcelona and Bayern Munich, but bigspending upstarts elsewhere are the title favourites this season after a summer of eye-catching transfers.

Paris St Germain bolstered their ranks with the arrivals of superstar Lionel Messi from Barcelona, former Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos, Italy's European Championshipwinning goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, Netherlands midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, and wing backs Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes the latter arguably the most exciting player in Portugal.

PSG, backed by Qatar Sports Investment since 2011, reached the Champions League semifinals last season and the final the year before that, but have never won the title. Perhaps it's no coincidence that the clubs spectacular recruitment campaign comes with a view to winning Europe's premier club competition before Qatar hosts the World Cup next year.

PSG begins their bid on Wednesday in Group 'A' at Club Brugge, where Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe could play together for the first time, a fearsome attacking lineup for the Belgian champions to contend with.

Rested at the weekend after a long trip back from a World Cup qualifier in Bolivia, Messi could finally make his first start for PSG against Brugge. PSG rejected an offer of about $188m from Real Madrid for Mbappe, despite knowing he can leave without a transfer fee when his contract expires next year.

Premier League clubs have been displaying a similar tendency toward recruitment. Last season's Champions League finalists Chelsea and Manchester City spent club-record fees on marquee signings.