PSG Must Consider Youth Policy Before Transfer Links with Di Maria, Alves, Pogba

It has become a normal occurrence for Paris Saint-Germain to be constantly linked with moves for the biggest names in football, and that won't stop. However, if the Ligue 1 champions truly want to progress, they also need to heavily consider their youth policy before leaning toward multi-million pound transfers.

On Thursday, website French Football Weekly released their yearly list of the best young players in France. At first glance, PSG are represented fairly well, with five players making the list of 50 players selected. However, when you delve a little deeper, it's clear to see that youth development is not a top priority for the club.

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Profiling the 50 Best Young Players in France - Download #Le50 2015 NOW http://t.co/EYmAuvj5dv pic.twitter.com/btNynaiSNs

— FFW (@FrenchFtWeekly) April 2, 2015"

Lucas Digne and Marquinhos were bought for hefty transfer fees in 2013—neither player could be considered a PSG youth graduate, having played first-team football in the top flight before moving.

Adrien Rabiot, although only 19, is enjoying his second spell at the club after he left the academy for Manchester City before returning.

The situation with Alphonse Areola is that he has been developed by PSG, but nearly all of his first-team games have come while away on loan. It is unclear whether or not he will ever get to wear PSG's No. 1 jersey at the Parc des Princes.

Jean-Christophe Bahebeck's two loan spells away from Paris were less than successful, but after scoring five goals in pre-season, it was hoped he would be given the chance to blossom in the first-team this season. Bahebeck's 540 minutes are the best example of why youth will continue to stagnate at PSG unless they change their ways.

When you look at all the injuries suffered by Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Lucas Moura, plus the loss of form of both Ezequiel Lavezzi and Edinson Cavani, there is no viable reason that Bahebeck should have only made three starts this campaign. You can’t even blame his poor performances for his lack of playing time. Whenever he has been brought on, more often than not he has made an impact, both in the league and Champions League.

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Bit embarrassing for #PSG that their only back up striker is Jean-Christophe Bahebeck, and even now Blanc doesn't fancy throwing him on

— Matt Spiro (@mattspiro) March 11, 2015"

There is obviously a fear that if Laurent Blanc and PSG are not playing established players 99 percent of the time, they will not be able to compete with the bigger teams in Europe. Priority must then come during the league games.

The other problem PSG have had is finishing off games. If they could establish a strong 2-0 or 3-0 lead in games they are dominating, they could then give the likes of Bahebeck and newly promoted professionals Jean-Kevin Augustin and Presnel Kimpembe a chance to grow from time on the pitch.

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OFFICIAL: PSG confirm sought after 17-year-old Jean-Kevin Augustin has signed first professional contract with club. Runs until 2018.

— FFW (@FrenchFtWeekly) February 1, 2015"

Financial fair play will mean PSG have to be more careful with the money they spend, and the best way to do that is to go big on one player but complement that with home-grown talent that has come through the club.

This season, veteran Zoumana Camara has played the role as fourth-choice centre-back. A player with his experience and know-how is perfect for the PSG squad; however, he should not be taking playing time away from Kimpembe. Beside the likes of Maxwell and Thiago Silva, the young Frenchman would be fine. If the club think he is good enough for the squad, they have to take a chance on him on the field.

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@Gibney_A True, but we saw TM play there vs. Lens & he was poor. Would have been good chance to start Kimpembe too. Shame he's not on bench.

— Jonathan Johnson (@Jon_LeGossip) March 20, 2015"

To grow the brand, the club will always target players like Dani Alves, as reported by Tom Sheen of The Independent, and Angel Di Maria, per Liam Corless of the Mirror. However, if they want to truly become one of Europe’s elite clubs, they need to remember their roots and promote from within.

Spending money on academies around the world means nothing if there are no opportunities for the players to make it into the first-team.