Battle Of The Superclubs: SG and AS Monaco Battling it out on the transfer front

PSG: Can they do it two years in a row?

Paris – one of the most prominent centres of art in the world. Home to iconic buildings like the Louvre museum, the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, the capital city is the melting pot for cultures, arts and theatre. Also doubling up as the financial hub of France, Paris is where people meet and business is done.

An eight-hour drive away from Paris is Monaco, where people head for recreational activities following a busy week. It’s a sovereign city-state, little more than 2 km in land area, situated in the French Riviera, southeast France. With a population of 37,000, mostly comprising of celebrities and affluent individuals, Monaco is the pleasure centre of Western Europe, with its gentle climate, splendid scenery, tourist attractions and inviting tax laws.

There is a world of difference between the two places, but Paris and Monaco do have one thing in common – Football Superclubs.

Owned by Qatar Investment Authority, Paris St. Germain, or PSG, is the shining light of French Football. Following a second place finish the previous season, PSG, backed by high-profile signings, clinched the Ligue 1 title in the 2012-13 campaign, after a gap of 19 years. With the national team coach, Laurent Blanc, also being lured to the Parc des Princes, it is safe to say that PSG is the capital club of France, both literally and metaphorically.

But PSG’s place in the sun is slowly being overshadowed by the new kid on the block, AS Monaco. With close to €150 million already spent on marquee signings in this summer’s transfer window, Monaco has successfully managed  to usurp PSG’s position at the top and grab the world media’s attention.

Bankrolled by Russian billionaire businessman and philanthropist Dmitry Rybolovlev, the tiny state of Monaco has made a big splash in world football following the club’s promotion to Ligue 1 after clinching the second division title at the end of the 2012-13 season.

Having already agreed a contract with Radamel Falcao before the transfer window officially opened, Monaco further outlined its intention by snapping up the Porto duo of Joao Moutinho and James Rodriguez for a combined fee of €65 million, in the process sending shockwaves through the rest of Europe and making its presence known to the major players in the transfer market.

Signing a striker as in-demand as Radamel Falcao from right under the noses of the elite clubs only goes to highlight Monaco’s transfer strategy. It’s not the reported €60 million fee, but the statement of intent that matters. A club like Monaco needs exposure, and so signing a world-renowned striker, albeit at a staggering price, is a step in the right direction. The effect has been almost instantaneous. Almost every potential big transfer has AS Monaco as one of the rumoured buyers, who, even if not interested in the player, would still be appreciating the media focus that is helping put the club on the front pages.