Kylian Mbappe's future in focus as PSG eye historic treble after securing 12th Ligue 1 title

Paris Saint-Germain clinched their latest Ligue 1 title on Sunday, sealing victory with three games remaining. This triumph marks the beginning of their quest for a historic treble, with a Champions League semi-final and the French Cup final on the horizon. This victory is PSG's 12th French title, a record surpassing any other team by at least two titles. Their dominance, with 10 titles in the last 12 seasons, underscores the significant transformation of French football since the Qatari acquisition of the club in 2011.

The financial advantage PSG holds over the rest of French football is staggering, making winning the league title almost a baseline expectation each season.

According to Deloitte's rankings of top-earning football clubs, PSG secured the third spot last year, raking in just over 800 million euros ($855 million) in revenue. The only other French representative in the top 20 was Marseille, with 258 million euros.

UEFA's European Club Finance report, released in February, highlighted PSG as having the second-highest wage bill in Europe, trailing only behind Barcelona, at over 600 million euros.

Although PSG's wage structure likely shifted this season due to departures like Lionel Messi and Neymar, a recent study by L'Equipe indicated that the top 10 highest-paid players in Ligue 1 all currently ply their trade in Paris.

Given these circumstances, it's exceedingly challenging for any other team to vie with PSG domestically. Yet, credit must still be given to coach Luis Enrique for his achievements amidst such formidable financial dominance.

"Given our history and our squad, we are the favourites, although not everybody manages to do it, especially with so many games still to play," the PSG boss said last week.

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"But I have said since the very first day that we are the favourites, that we have the best squad and the biggest budget. It is almost an obligation," he added.

Luis Enrique inherited a PSG team transitioning into the post-Messi and Neymar era, facing the challenge of reshaping the squad.

PSG's performance in winning the league last season was less than convincing, suffering seven losses and narrowly edging out Lens by a single point.

This season hasn't been smooth sailing either, to use a French expression, it hasn't always been "comme un long fleuve tranquille" (like a long, peaceful river).

Luis Enrique had to integrate numerous new signings and navigate the delicate situation surrounding Kylian Mbappe's future. Mbappe found himself sidelined at the start of the campaign, with the club pressing him to either commit to a new contract or agree to be transferred, rather than allowing his contract to run down.

This partly explains PSG's slow start, winning just three of their first seven Ligue 1 matches. However, they've since picked up momentum, with their only league defeat being a 3-2 loss at home to Nice in September.

Ousmane Dembele has been impressive since his arrival from Barcelona, primarily operating on the right wing, while Bradley Barcola has shone on the opposite flank.

Teenager Warren Zaire-Emery has solidified his place in midfield and even earned a call-up to the full France squad, while Portuguese playmaker Vitinha has arguably been PSG's standout performer.

However, the spotlight inevitably falls on Mbappe, who boasts an impressive tally of 43 goals across all competitions. Remarkably, he achieved this despite seeing limited action in the league over the past two months, following his decision to depart the club on a free transfer at the end of the season. Mbappe has only completed 90 minutes twice in PSG's last 11 league fixtures.

Luis Enrique has defended this decision, citing the need to prepare for a future without the star forward and explore alternative strategies. Nonetheless, PSG must capitalize on having the French captain in their squad while they can.

It's not surprising that PSG appears to be a more cohesive and balanced unit now that they no longer have to accommodate Messi and Neymar. Although they faced challenges in the Champions League group stage, they successfully advanced to the knockout phase and notably secured four points against Borussia Dortmund. As they prepare to face the Germans in the upcoming semi-final, PSG emerges as the favorite.

Should they overcome Dortmund, PSG would set the stage for a grand finale to the Mbappe era, featuring a French Cup final against Lyon on May 25, followed by the Champions League final a week later. With the possibility of clinching a clean sweep of trophies, PSG's ambition knows no bounds.

"Of course that's something we are talking about. It's a source of motivation for us," Luis Enrique said. "It will be a long, winding road to get there. We will need to stay fully focused until the end of the season."