As the lavish spending of Chinese soccer clubs on foreign players makes global headlines, insiders suggest the country should invest more in youth cultivation to catch up with the world's best.

To raise soccer's profile in the country, Chinese Super League clubs spent a staggering $373 million during the most recent transfer window to purchase star overseas players for the 2016 CSL season.

But signing big-name imports isn't enough, according to retired players and executives from some top European clubs. In the long run, China has to stand on its own and nurture more homegrown talent if it wants to become a global soccer power.