Europe's biggest teams have new kits this season. But whose is the best?

The summer break offers football clubs the chance to upgrade their squad by making signings for the new season.

It also offers them the chance to upgrade their gear and bring out new kits so players look sharp on the pitch, and the tills in the club shop keep ticking over.

Since everyone seems to be at it this summer, we asked football-shirt collector Neal Heard to run the rule over this season's new releases from across Europe's top leagues.

If you are in any doubt as to how much Neal likes football shirts, watch this:

Let's kick things off with Neal's thoughts on the class of 2017-18:

MANCHESTER UNITED

I have a lot of time for the home shirt, but trend spotters can see what’s going on in the world of shirt designers right now: button down placket, granddad collar, plain design.

The home kit works but it’s the away shirt, which is basically a homage to the 1984 'snowflake' shirt - one of the graphic shirt design classics - which points the way where shirt design will go over the next few years for me.

REAL MADRID

Real (which means Royal, by the way) are known for being classic and elegant, kit-wise.

They are known as 'Los Blancos' so I get that it's hard to do much other than all white, but over the years they have gone graphic with their away shirts.

This season, to add a splash of a modern look, and keeping in with the modern trend of semi neon, they've gone for a bit of teal trim. I am sure some will love it.

JUVENTUS

Again, granddad collar, buttons, tight-fitting, lo-fi and traditional pattern.

I must admit I do prefer it when Juve go back to utilising the thinner stripes seen here, compared to the thicker stripes of recent seasons.

As for the badge - as a design, I don't mind it, but the fuss around it does sum up the clash between teams who are trying to 'modernise' and maximise revenue streams, and the traditional supporter base, who quite rightly love what they know.

The fact the Turin-based club launched the new badge in Milan kind of sums up what I mean!

ARSENAL

This version is a nice nod to the past, and follows the heritage of Arsenal shirts (with different coloured sleeves to the main body) but, for me, it’s just too pared back.

Also, sometimes a sponsor's logo can enhance a jersey, adding a nice sparkle or a look which just enhances. I’m afraid that’s just not the case with this shirt.

Will we remember it in years to come? I doubt it.

BARCELONA

I've got to give manufacturer Nike a tick for trying to move away from the usual thick stripes, whilst not being too rude to tradition - which I think is important.

They’ve tried the hoops previously and now, to shake things up, have gone for pinstripes.

However, though they have thought about it, this shirt doesn’t light my fire. I would love to see someone be a bit more daring with the classic Barca jersey.

BAYERN MUNICH

For me Bayern Munich, along with Real Madrid, are the greatest underachievers of the big, iconic clubs when it comes to their shirts.

It’s interesting to see the home shirt utilising pinstripes but I just don’t think it works somehow.

That said, the away shirt, seen here advertised by Thomas Muller among others, is probably my favourite of the clubs in this list. Why don’t they do something similar with the home? That would be ace.

CHELSEA

Wow! What use of block colour!

Another nod, and a good one, to the bygone era of pure, one-coloured shirts.

I have a lot of time for the approach, but being a bit of a graphics shirt aficionado, it's a bit underwhelming for me.

However, traditionalists and lovers of the sleek look of the past few seasons will love it.

BORUSSIA DORTMUND

I reckon shirts are soon going to start utilising the striking graphics and patterns seen in the 1980s and 90s, and this shirt at least shows some attempt to do that by utilising semi-solid hoops.

However, rather than grasping the nettle and going full-on graphic, it misses the mark for me; a half homage to graphic design.

Puma likes things skin-tight, which is fine on the muscle-bound players, but not such a good look on the terraces.

MANCHESTER CITY

Surely we can see the common theme here? Almost exactly like Chelsea’s shirt, Nike has definitely ploughed the pared-down, classic furrow this season.

When we look back in years to come, will we celebrate these shirts as much as the teams wearing them?

LIVERPOOL

This is one of those shirts which looks nicer in the flesh.

New Balance has taken a definite step back to the understated and classic for Liverpool.

Even the new away shirt makes a strong reference to their green and white quartered shirt from the mid-1990s.

SPURS

I know a lot of Tottenham fans who were worried something would go wrong when Spurs had passed their design onto Nike for this season.

In fairness, this design looks classic and clean and the traditional-looking cockerel badge will keep traditionalists happy.

CLASS OF 2017-18 REPORT

With a few notable exceptions, this group of kits are an exercise in blandness. There’s an old adage that if you wait long enough, every fashion comes back around.

At the moment, the football shirt scene, at least for the new releases, is stuck firmly in lo-fi, pared-back, classic mode with the standout trend being the use of old-school collars and buttons with plackets. Jerseys are certainly 'pattern challenged', shall we say.

I suppose it’s all down to personal taste, and if you dig classic looks and understatement, then you’re going to disagree with me and think these offerings are class.

They're not for me.

But what do you think?