European Top 5: Real Madrid have the lowest average recruitment age for their current players (CIES)

Real Madrid CF (LaLiga Santander) is the club with the lowest average recruitment age for their current players among the clubs of the European Top 5 (Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A TIM, Ligue 1 Uber Eats and LaLiga Santander) in 2020-21, according to the CIES Football Observatory's Weekly post published on 06/12/2020.

With an average age of 22.2 years old at the time of recruitment, Real Madrid is ahead of RB Leipzig (Bundesliga, 22.3), OGC Nice (Ligue 1 Uber Eats, 22.5) and Stade de Reims (Ligue 1 Uber Eats, 24.8). Footballers from the youth academy or U23 players trained at the club have not been taken into account in these calculations.

By contrast, Benevento Calcio (Serie A TIM) is the European Top 5 club to have recruited its current players at the oldest average age (28.1 years old). Next are two LaLiga Santander clubs: Elche CF (27.8) and Club Atletico Osasuna (27.6). In the Premier League, West Bromwich Albion FC was the club that recruited its players at the oldest age on average at 26.5 years old.

• In addition to a ranking of clubs in the European Top 5, CIES Centre…