By Tim Stannard

  1) Neymar unveiled by PSG

It’s over. It’s done. 

One of the biggest summer sagas has come to an end. Neymar is officially a PSG player and has been out on the Stade de France pitch in his brand, new shirt and met the fans. The best approach to the deal worth $263 million and saw the footballer move from Barcelona to the French capital is to relax and enjoy it. To paraphrase, PSG president Nasser Al Khelaifi at Neymar’s media unveiling, have a coffee and relax. The talent pool of football has been spread a little more evenly.  If your neighbor suddenly upgrades to Rooms-to-go furniture from Ikea, then don’t get too stressed. Enjoy the couch.

Of course, there are questions over Financial Fair Play, the sanctity of contracts and an arms race in transfer fees, but that is all for another day. On a football front, one of the most exciting players on the planet has moved to what is now going to be one of the most exciting teams in one of the most exciting leagues. 

Friday saw the footballer’s press conference and to put it all into one sentence, Neymar’s decision to leave Barcelona was by no means an easy one but made not due to money, fame, jealously of Leo Messi but the simple fact that the idea of playing for PSG made him happy. And that’s what life is about.

Tune into the Summer XTRA at 7PM ET / 4PM PT for a recap of what has been an historic day for PSG. 

2) Mbappe’s Monaco kicks of a lively Ligue Un

Another big team in France are also in the spotlight on Friday, although there is a bit of jumping up and down shouting “me! me! me!” what with all the Neymar business in the French league. That team is Monaco, who just so happen to be the Ligue Un Champions and are back in action to kick off the return of Ligue Un. 

And there is a certain Kylian Mbappe – at least for the moment, anyway - who is primed for action in what has been an admittedly huge amount of change for the Monte Carlo outfit over the summer as one of the standout teams in Europe was cherry-picked. Mainly by Manchester City. 

Indeed, Monaco boss Jardim has admitted that a bit of work will be needed in the transfer market over the next month to replace the likes of Bernardo Silva and Tiemoue Bakayoko. “We will have our real team from September,” explained Jardim.

Ligue Un kicks off live on beIN SPORTS with Monaco taking on Toulouse from the Stade Louis II. Coverage begins live from 2PM ET / 11AM PT. 

3) Nice face Napoli in glamor Champions League challenge 

So what else has been going on then? 

Well, the Champions League draw has been made for the final qualifying round. 22 teams are in this year’s competition by right, with 20 left competing in ten ties – home and away. The stand-out clash by far is Napoli taking on Nice with Mario Balotelli returning to Serie A to take on one of the most thrilling teams in Europe. Liverpool will need to get past Hoffenheim to get back into the Champions League proper. 

And while we are here head to the beIN SPORTS USA Facebook site for the daily TRANSFER TRACKER show at 12:30PM ET / 9:30AM PT for a recap of what other moves are shaking the world of football. 

4) Lightning Bolt begins farewell to sport in London 

Elsewhere in the wide, world of sport and the World Athletics Championships are getting underway in London with Usain Bolt and Wayde van Niekerk as the stars of the show. The stand-out event of the day sees multiple Olympic champion, Mo Farah, competing in the men’s 10,000 meters final and the heats of the men’s 100m. 

In the vroom, vroom road of motor sport, the Moto GP riders will be practicing ahead of Sunday’s return to action in the Czech Republic. Stay tuned to beIN SPORTS all Saturday and Sunday for live coverage of one of the tightest title races in years. 

WHAT IS SPORTS BURST?

The life philosophy of Sports Burst is that if you are not upsetting someone, then you are not trying hard enough. SB is a daily trawl and troll through the morning's sports news to bring you fact-nuggets to make you both smile and swear. Hopefully at the same time.