Jean-Christophe Bahebeck's Performances Could Save Paris Saint-Germain Millions

On Saturday afternoon against Toulouse, it wasn’t one of Paris Saint-Germain’s multimillion-pound signings who saved their blushes in the south of France. Making only his second start for the club, Jean-Christophe Bahebeck scored his first league goal for the champions in PSG’s 1-1 draw. His performances over the first half of the season could actually save the club around £50 million next season.

Though the result may have been a disappointment for Laurent Blanc, the performance of Bahebeck was definitely the bright spot in an otherwise forgetful afternoon in the Midi-Pyrenees region of France.

Blanc definitely had one eye on the visit of Barcelona as he picked his starting XI this weekend. Zlatan Ibrahimovic was kept out with a heel injury, Ezequiel Lavezzi pulled up with a hamstring against Caen and, despite his excellent goal, Lucas Moura dropped to the bench, obviously to protect him for Tuesday.

This meant a first start of the season for Bahebeck. He came on as a first-half replacement for Lavezzi and put in an encouraging performance. In what was a poor PSG showing on Saturday, the young forward showed his pace, movement and composure as he equalised just after the half-hour mark.

It was the quick thinking of Marco Verratti that created the chance, using his awareness to pick out Bahebeck with a quickly taken free-kick. The forward let it bounce before placing his shot beyond Zacharie Boucher.

"

1 - @JCBahebeck has scored on the first PSG attempt of the game. Efficient.

— OptaJean (@OptaJean) September 27, 2014"

After two loan spells away from the French capital, there was a doubt that Bahebeck would ever make an impact at the French champions.

In his first loan spell at Troyes, Bahebeck was given plenty of chances to become a pivotal figure for the relegation strugglers. He scored on his debut in what was a tough game away at Lyon. The game ended in a 4-1 defeat, but there were positive signs that Bahebeck would take his chance to blossom at the newly promoted side.

Then, in the fourth week, he was sent off as Troyes lost 3-1 to Sochaux. This inconsistency all but sums up his time under Jean-Marc Furlan. Bahebeck was given 16 starts that season but only managed three goals. In the end, Troyes were relegated, and the forward returned to the capital without much in the way of development.

Michel Spingler/Associated Press

As PSG signed Cavani for €64 million last summer, Bahebeck was sent on another loan spell, this time to Valenciennes. Maybe it is the curse of the player, but the club from northern France were also relegated. This time, the forward only scored twice in 19 appearances, 11 of them from the start.

Bahebeck’s performances left a lot to be desired, and there were many suggestions that he just wasn’t good enough to play in Ligue 1, never mind become a striker at one of Europe’s top clubs.

Christopher Lee/Getty Images

During this summer, Bahebeck played for his country as the France under-20 side were beaten in the final of the Toulon Youth Festival, held in the south of France. The forward scored twice in the final as France lost 5-2 to Brazil. He scored four times in the tournament and return to the capital with confidence and belief.

After the World Cup in Brazil, Edison Cavani and Ezequiel Lavezzi made a late return to the PSG squad. That allowed Bahebeck play his part in PSG’s pre-season preparations, and the young forward grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

In the five friendlies before the Trophee des Champions victory over Guingamp, Bahebeck scored six times and looked a player reborn.

Once the season started, Cavani and Lucas took the starting places, with Lavezzi coming off the bench. Bahebeck was left to dream about his excellent summer, hoping for a chance in the first team.

PSG spent most of the summer—once they had spent the majority of their transfer budget on David Luiz—trying to work out a deal with Real Madrid for Argentine midfielder Angel Di Maria, via ESPN FC. Blanc felt he needed someone to come into the attack who could create chances, take opportunities and become an influence on the direction of the team.

Eventually, PSG missed out and Di Maria moved to Manchester United for £57.9 million. There is no doubt that either in the winter or next summer, PSG will dip into the market again, but if Bahebeck can continue to make his mark on the squad when given an opportunity, it would hopefully give Blanc some food for thought.

Victor Fraile/Getty Images

When Qatari Sports Investment bought the French club, President Nasser Al-Khelaifi claimed he wanted to discover PSG’s very own Lionel Messi, but the youth players who were already at the club have not been given the chance to show what they can do so far.

Marquinhos and Lucas Digne are two of the young hopes in this current PSG side, but both were brought to the club via fairly large transfer fees, not through the academy.

It would be far too easy for PSG to sanction a move for one of Europe’s elite attackers to add quality to the squad. But before next summer, they should give Bahebeck the opportunity to take this chance and become an integral part of the attack.

Blanc has nothing to lose. They already have plenty of quality upfront, and they are still favourites to win the league despite the slow start. If he is given chances to impress up front alongside Cavani and Ibrahimovic, Bahebeck could be on the verge of unlocking his own potential and become a star at the Parc des Princes.

Any level of success for Bahebeck could save PSG from having to go and recruit big in the next 12 months. With Financial Fair Play dictating how much the club can spend, it makes sense to use the resources they already have in place. If they do, there is a chance they may unearth the gem that they have been looking for without spending a single penny.