The Ligue 1 champions are hoping to break into Europe's elite this season, but their abysmal dealings in the transfer market have diminished their hopes severely.
When Laurent Blanc was jettisoned from the Parc des Princes after leading Paris Saint-Germain to a fourth consecutive Ligue 1 title, it was a decision taken primarily because the club’s leaders had lost faith in him to develop the team as a Champions League challenger.
Unai Emery was appointed amid murmured fears that he lacked genuine top-level experience – that he is a "Europa League coach" instead of one to compete with Europe’s big boys.