Other clubs have made the headlines as PSG prepares for new season. A tour to Japan is on as they shape their team into the best possible setting. New manager is Christophe Galtier and a name that are not grabbing the highest and top headlines.
In their recent pre-season game vs. Kawasaki in Japan, Messi, Neymar and Mpappe started as the trio on top and in that 2-1 Messi scored the opener after 32 minutes.
Paul Merson is a man with real commitment to football and in his latest book and well written story about a man and his problems, you get the knowledge of what addiction can be also in the wrong direction.
He has been around at Sky Sports since the start of this century being a pundit who shines as an indivudal and often his comments makes a debate or a laugh as you get a balance in the studio with other pundits being in another mood or fase.
We all knew his ability on the field and how good he was for Arsenal during his days playing alongside great players of his era doing twelve seasons with The Gunners before starting his travel to other clubs.
Merson played a vital part in the teams of George Graham winning the league in 1989 and 1991, and later also doing well in the time of the early years of Arsene Wenger.
The man himself is a riddle and opening up about gambling, drinking and using other substances might be an old story and well known, but again always good with a reminder as many do struggle with different aspects of mental health issues.
Paul Merson, as we know him from the football field, he was a grand player, a special talent and as so many others of his generation we do see a different approach today, but as we all know, we do love to see those players that stands out for different reasons and are not main stream.
After leaving Arsenal, Merson moved to Middlesbrough and as he describes it himself, probably not the best of places, with a certain Paul Gascoigne also at this football club at the time. The stories of the two might have stopped others as they both have suffered from the life they lived and struggled with.
After a short stay up north, Merson moved to Aston Villa were he had a number of good years and just before played for England in the 1998 World Cup, probably forgotten by most that he scored in the penalty shoot outs as other were missing their target.
During his four years at Aston Villa, described by himself to be his best years in the game, he has fond memories of his last final at Wembley playing in that millennium year of the FA Cup final. Despite losing 1-0 to Chelsea, still very special as it was his only final for The Villa.
After his time with Aston Villa he made a move down south to help Portsmouth winning promotion to the top flight and at the age of 35 taking charge of Walsall becoming their player manager. His time with The Saddlers never really became any success though avoiding relegation from League One might have been a bigger achievment than valued, and he can proudly say that he was never relegated as a EFL manager and there after moving away from the trade of football management with a short period at Non-League club Tamworth.
He has also over the years played in a number of games of charity and such, always seen with a smile on his face as he still show his skills even at the age of above fifty.
Many of us watching Sky Sports do still remember his good days in football and hopefully he will continue to talk of the game as he continues to make his reports and comments on Premier League.
Cesc Fabregas was in the same Barcelona youth team as Lionel Messi, seen as massive talent of dimentions when at La Masia, and instead of being patient and wait a bit for his chance he jumped at a more direct route with Arsene Wenger at Arsenal, knowing exactly what he purchased and brought into his team.
Fabregas made his early debut for Arsenal in the 03/04 season, and from then on making his special route to become one of the best midfielders in the World. Many believe that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the best from this era, but looking at the stats and trophy hunts of Cesc Fabregas makes you wonder why he was never seen in the same headlines as the two other maestros of the game.
Over his years in the top flight of English football, the Spanish national team and his return to Barcelona the following happened. He is a World Cup winner and a European Champion with Spain. Premier League winner twice with Chelsea, a runner-up in the Champions League with Arsenal and also of course winner of the FA Cup, EFL Cup and La Liga during his years at the very highest level.
Arsenal and Arsene Wenger was not able to stop the move to Barcelona and after 212 PL appearances in eight years with The Gunners a dream move to Camp Nou happened. After three years he made a return to English football with Chelsea, being a key player in those great Premier League wins and playing at Stamford Bridge from 2014 to 2019.
Cesc Fabregas had reached his top but anyway moving to Monaco made a new change in his career and with a clear feeling that he would like a new challenge in a new league, but still in Europe and not vanishing for a lucrative contract in China.
Since joining Monaco he has been an important player after helping the club out of difficulties and last season ending third and qualified for CL action. Not able to get into the group stages of Champions League they had to settle for Europa League.
The start this season has seen little of Cesc Fabregas. Monaco are eight at the moment in Ligue 1 and top of their Europa League group. Cesc Fabregas did not play every game last season, only on the field 21 times. This season we have seen Fabregas involved twice coming on as a sub in the games v. Lorient and Lens.
Not many players are still involved in top flight action making their debuts almost twenty years ago, but Cesc Fabregas (34) will possibly be around for a number of more years.
His tally of performances, massive title wins and of course being capped 110 times since making his debut in 2005. He has not made any offical statement of a retirement from international football, but has not played for Spain since 2016.
A man easily forgotten among the ever greatest players, but in his time and setting he was actually one of them highest on the steps of football stardom.
