PSG May Have the Short-Term Answers But They Can't Keep Allowing Academy Stars to Leave

When James Richardson posed the question to the BT Sport Goals Show crew as to who are Europe's greatest golden generation; Milan of the 1980s, Manchester United's Class of '92, Ajax's 1994/95 babyfaces and Barcelona's La Masia crop of the 2000s were all rightly suggested.

And when Richardson asked French journalist and Paris Saint-Germain fan Julien Laurens why his side weren't a part of this conversation despite the French capital being a breeding ground for elite talent, Laurens' response was simple...

They don't give youth a chance, especially in recent times.

Les Parisiens' significant financial muscle since their Qatar-backed takeover in 2011 has seen them take a 'Galacticos' approach to squad building - as Thiago Silva, Edinson Cavani, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Angel Di Maria and, of course, Neymar all arrived for substantial fees in the space of five years.

And while this win-now, short-sighted ideal has led to PSG gaining a stranglehold over Ligue 1 - winning eight of the past nine titles - their failure to build a balanced squad has led to persistent false dawns on the European stage, their ultimate goal.

It wasn't until last summer, when they smartly added Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye, where you felt PSG boasted a squad which established a healthy equilibrium of pure individualistic talent and functionality.

And this perfect harmony was on full display in their impressive 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the second leg of their Champions League last 16 tie, overturning a 2-1 deficit.

Nevertheless, despite appearing like they've finally nailed their short-term plan, we can't overlook some of the talent to slip through their fingers as a result of their disregard for this alien thing called the 'long-term'.

Moussa Dembele (not the Belgian one, this guy) and Kingsley Coman departed Paris in 2012 and 2014 respectively, while Les Parisiens were hasty to dismiss an 18-year-old Boubakary Soumare along with Stanley Nsoki, Arthur Zagre and Timothy Weah.

But it's the dealing of dynamic duo Christopher Nkunku and Moussa Diaby which epitomises PSG's incompetence in the transfer market.

Following their combined £25m departures, as a result of insufficient first-team opportunities, Nkunku and Diaby have gone on to make 27 goals and assists between them in just 28 Bundesliga starts thus far.

The former has thrived in Julian Nagelsmann's flexible and dynamic system at RB Leipzig, while the latter has proven to be a hit at Peter Bosz's Bayer Leverkusen.

Diaby's explosiveness and capacity to dribble off both feet have been on full display this season and he marked Die Werkself's Bundesliga return with a pair of assists from crossing situations in a 4-1 victory over Werder Bremen on Monday night.

While it's bad enough that PSG allowed two clearly gifted young footballers to leave for close to peanuts in a pre-COVID market, things are actually a lot worse when you consider who was kept around and who was added to the squad.

28-year-old Pablo Sarabia, a good player but not spectacular, joined, while the declining Julian Draxler and Eric Choupo-Moting - yes, the one who couldn't get a game at Stoke - remained.

But what's even more frightening for Laurens & Co is that it doesn't look like they've learnt their lesson from previous oversights.

In Adil Aouchiche and Tanguy Kouassi, PSG boast two of Europe's supreme teenage talents but incredibly, both are yet to sign professional deals at the club - with their current contracts expiring at the end of the season.

It's looking increasingly likely that these two potential world-beaters (jumping the gun, maybe) will be gallivanting off elsewhere for absolute zilch and there's little doubting Nagelsmann - and managers of his ilk - is already stalking his prey like a ravenous Great White would.

The French duo rose to prominence at the Under-17 World Cup last summer; with Aouchiche's playmaking instincts and space exploitation, along with Kouassi's comfort in possession and progressive nature from centre-back, helping them stand out like a pair of sore thumbs in a France side that finished third.

And while Aouchiche is yet to showcase his stuff at a senior level - making just one Ligue 1 appearance last term - Kouassi's promise was laid bare as he notched 13 appearances for Thomas Tuchel's men.

The 17-year-old made his debut in a defensive midfield role against Montpellier back in December before becoming the youngest player ever to represent PSG in the Champions League - when he started against Galatasaray in the same position four days later. The highlight of his debut campaign, however, was a pair of thumping headers which helped his side to a 4-4 draw away at Amiens back in February, after France's superpower found themselves 3-0 down.

For the wider footballing world, Kouassi's talent couldn't be more clear-cut and it'd be just another example of PSG's total disregard for its academy - as well as their woeful long-term planning - if they were to allow him to depart on a free alongside Aouchiche.

Sure, there's been the odd example of astute pieces of business and player development; most notably through the £33m signing of then 21-year-old defender Thilo Kehrer from Schalke in 2018 and the emergence of Presnel Kimpembe through the ranks. But the incompetence has largely outweighed the astuteness and it's scary to think the sort of money PSG could've saved if they trusted their academy a little more.

Overall, if you had to ask whether PSG are well-prepared for a post-Neymar and Kylian Mbappe world, the short answer is an emphatic no.

While they'd be in a fine position financially - with the funds they'd recuperate from the player sales - their persistence and obsession at favouring the 'big' names and established stars over incredibly gifted youngsters has ultimately put them at a significant disadvantage when their current pair of generational stars inevitably depart.

Les Parisiens' hierarchy simply can't afford to overlook supreme academy talent anymore and their dealing of Aouchiche and Kouassi this summer will be a major indication as to whether they've learnt any kind of lesson.