While PSG have been synonymous with splashing out crazy amount of money for the world’s best talents, the club’s Qatari owners have also been ensuring local talent gets a chance to represent the club. Adrien Rabiot is one example, Jean-Kevin Augustin the other.
Originally from Plaisir, the forward arrived at PSG in 2009 after a stint with AC Boulogne-Billancourt, a team located close to the Parc des Princes.
Since then, he has been able to slowly make his way up the ranks at the club and at the start of the 2014-15 season, he joined up with the first team squad after impressing during the preseason tour to America and the winter trip to Doha.
Speed merchant
The striker has tremendous pace and has admitted that his style of play is more or less based on these bursts of acceleration and “explosiveness”. He possesses speed as well as strength. His movement around the opponent’s box also stands out particularly, as he can help his fellow attacks thrive from the space that he creates in and around the box.
He is only 18 so there might still be some time before he can really break out at the top level but the wonderful fact is that he understands that and doesn’t feel that he has totally realized his potential.
“I’ve made progress in front of the goal,” Augustin admitted. “But I still have a lot of progress to make to get to that level”.
The player has done enough to prove that the club were right to reward him with professional terms in early 2015.
First team experience
There has been talk of a loan move for the France Under-19 international but PSG boss Laurent Blanc feels that Augustin can do much better training with the first team stars like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Angel di Maria and Edinson Cavani. He has made seven appearances for the Parisian club this season, most of them short cameos, and has scored one goal in the process.
It is believed that the player himself wants to stay with the Ligue 1 champions until the end of the season and the temptation for the player to stay at PSG and continue this role of a squad player is obviously understandable.
However, the best decision for the player as well as the club who will only benefit from his progress, is in sending the player out on loan.
Lack of game-time
He hasn’t played a game since November last year and at his stage, which is not something you want at the stage he is in, in his football career. Fellow Ligue 1 side Angers, who have done tremendously well this season are keen on his services as a short-term addition until the end of the season.
It would be best for the player to go out as he needs to be on the field every week to ensure he can continue to fulfil his frightening potential.
Playing every week would also ensure his long-term chances of breaking into the PSG first team squad are more. A productive loan season could set Augustin on course to become an important homegrown future starter in the PSG lineup.
Written by Aakriti Mehrotra
Follow Aakriti on Twitter @Aakriti1
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