As the Côte d’Azur sun beats down, the air around Stade Louis II crackles with more than just summer heat. AS Monaco is deep into its meticulously planned preparations for the 2025/2026 campaign, a season where the ambitions are crystal clear: solidify their place among Ligue 1’s elite and mount a sustained challenge in the Champions League. Under the continued, focused leadership of manager Adi Hütter, the club executed a targeted recruitment strategy while fine-tuning its tactical identity during a demanding pre-season.

Strategic Recruitment: Plugging Gaps and Adding Depth.

Monaco’s transfer activity this summer reflects a clear strategy: targeted reinforcement, squad balancing, and future planning, tempered by the significant departure of Youssouf Fofana in 2024.

Defensive Reinforcement.

Monaco felt the need to add an experienced defender. The efforts led the team to Germany to persuade Eric Dier. The English defender was signed by the French side earlier this transfer window. He initially joined Bayern Munich on loan from Tottenham in January 2024. 

The 31-year-old England International joined the club as a free agent until June 2028, with the option of an extra 12 months.

Midfield Reinvention (Post-Fofana).

The Fofana Void: Selling the powerhouse midfielder to AC Milan left a significant hole. Replacing his dynamism and ball-winning ability is the single biggest challenge for Monaco.

Monaco made a bold move by signing Paul Pogba. The French International was a free agent after agreeing with Juventus to mutually terminate his contract in November last year.

Juventus decided to part ways with Pogba after an initial four-year ban for a doping offence, and the 32-year-old was free to return to football in March.

Paul Pogba will link up with a familiar face in Monaco. Former Tottenham and Bayern Munich defender Eric Dier also joined the Ligue 1 club on a free transfer this summer.

Attacking Spark.

Monaco has been searching in full force for a striker ever since Wissam Ben Yedder left the club in 2024. Young talents such as Folarin Balogun and Mika Biereth are doing their bits for now, but adding another reliable goal threat is paramount.

Links to versatile forwards will continue to circulate Monaco for a while. However, the club officially signed Ansu Fati on loan from Barcelona.

The Spanish International spent the 2023-24 season on loan at Brighton. He found the net four times for the Premier League side before returning to Barcelona, where he made just 11 appearances last season.

Ansu is not a number nine as many supporters would have liked, but he is a decent attacking addition that will be appreciated by Hütter.

The Spain international might have played his last game for Barcelona, with Monaco having the option to make it a permanent deal at the end of the season for £9.4m

Overcoming PSG.

There is a mountain to climb for any club to lift the Ligue 1 title if you are not PSG. A real challenge lies here. This PSG team has been superior for some time. The combined spirit and individual quality of players is a phenomenon.

The Ligue 1 and Champions League winners of the 2024-2025 season are set to continue their dominance in Ligue 1. Monaco will need to dig deeper to outshine PSG, who have players like Donnarumma, Marquinhos, Vitinha, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Désiré Doué, and Dembele.

It will take a special team to compete with PSG. The challenge is well welcomed in Monaco.

Foundations Laid, Work Ongoing.

Monaco’s summer is a blend of strategic pragmatism and ambitious planning. Securing Dier and adding Pogba address key areas, while the experience of Minamino and Golovin bolsters the squad’s spine.

Under Hütter’s demanding regime, the pre-season lays the physical and tactical groundwork. The intense friendlies are proving grounds, revealing strengths and exposing areas that need work before the real battles begin.

The Principality Club has the resources, a manager with a clear philosophy, and core attacking talent. Success in 2025/2026 hinges on achieving greater defensive solidity and translating Hütter’s high-octane vision into consistent and results-driven performances. The blueprint is being drawn; now comes the critical phase of the construction.