Ligue 1 2023/24: Start date, transfers, fixtures and more

Ligue 1 resumes on the weekend of Saturday 12th August. We’ve got all of the key info, as well as a refresher as to where things stand, some tasty transfer tidbits and more.

Recap

PSG stuttered to last season’s Ligue 1 crown just a single point ahead of an impressive Lens team. Unsurprisingly, they’ve changed coach again and spent over €150m as they continue their quest to win everything on offer.

BIGGEST transfers

Following Lionel Messi’s exit to MLS, the Parisians have recruited holding midfielder Manuel Ugarte from Sporting for €60m, versatile French defender Lucas Hernandez from Bayern for €45m and wide attacker Lee Kang-in from Mallorca for €22m, plus Milan Škriniar and Marco Asensio on free transfers. Perhaps their most significant addition is in the dugout though, where in-demand former Barcelona and Spain coach Luis Enrique has arrived.

Third-place finishers Marseille have also opened their chequebook for Atlético Madrid duo Renan Lodi and Geoffrey Kondogbia, while making Ruslan Malinovskyi and Amine Harit’s loans permanent.

Wildcard players to watch

Enzo Le Fée has signed for Rennes from Lorient despite interest in the technically gifted Frenchman from clubs across Europe. At €20m, he could prove to be a bargain for the team who finished last season in 4th place.

Promoted teams

Le Havre and Metz are the 2 sides joining Ligue 1 for 2023/24, with 4 clubs dropping down at the end of 2022/23 to trim the division from 20 teams to 18.

Dark horses

Rennes finished the season with 4 wins on the bounce and were among the most entertaining sides in France, scoring an average of 1.8 goals per game in Ligue 1 last term. With the aforementioned Le Fée arriving, they could get even better. They’ve also signed Ludovic Blas from Nantes.

First weekend highlights

Dates and times aren’t fully finalised but Rennes’ first taste of action comes against promoted Metz, while Enrique’s Ligue 1 debut as PSG coach comes against Lorient.