Issue number 457 of the CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post ranks almost 800 clubs from 48 leagues around the world according to the average age of recruitment of the first team players signed over the last ten transfer windows (July 2019 to date). The lowest value overall was recorded for the Austrians of RB Salzburg (20.93 years), while the highest was measured for the Qatari side Al-Gharafa SC (30.27 years).

Another member of the Red Bull galaxy, RB Bragantino, ranks second (21.72 years). The Basques of Athletic Club (21.90) complete the podium with nevertheless few recruitments, most of their players coming directly from the youth academy. Also in the top ten are Slovenia’s NK Bravo, two Ukrainian clubs (Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kyiv), two Belgians (Genk and Cercle Brugge), one Swede (Elfsborg) and one Slovakian (Ružomberok).

The Post also presents the average age of players signed during the penultimate five-year period (July 2014 to June 2019), which makes it possible to measure trends. Among the clubs having the most rejuvenated their recruitment, the top three are Athletic Club (-4.11 years), RB Bragantino (-4.07) and Brighton & Hove (-3.37). At the other end of the scale, the teams that have opted for more experienced signings notably include Fluminense (+2.95 years), Olympique Lyonnais (+2.39) and Inter (+2.32).