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When I look at City and Liverpool, they both have squads where many of the key-players are near 30 years old and realistically only have a few seasons left before Klopp/Guardiola need to think about replacing them. Behind them, Chelsea and United are building teams where all the key-players are significantly younger and still improving.
First some numbers - looking at the players regularly used (age is rounded up if a player has his birthday before the likely starting date of next season)
I only look at Liverpool, City, United or Chelsea as they at the moment look the most likely to fight at the top in the years to come
Liverpool:
Allison 27 - van Dijk 29, Lovren 31, Matip 29, Gomez 23, Robertson 26, TAA 21, Fabinho 26, Wijnaldum 29, Henderson 30, Keita 25, Lallana 32, Shaqiri 28, Oxlade-Chamberlain 27, Firmino 28, Mane 28, Salah 28, Minamino 25, Origi 25
Of all the players used regularly only TAA and Gomez is below 25 and can be expected to improve. A lot of players are in the age-group 28-30 where they are more likely to deteriorate than to improve in the next 2-3 seasons. In addition, only Fabinho and Robertson of the players who 23-27 have shown the same consistency and quality as TAA and the slightly older players - Origi, Minamino, Oxlade Chamberlain and Keita have not yet shown that regularly.
Manchester City:
Ederson 27, Walker 30, Stones 26, Mendy 26, Otamendi 32, Cancelo 26, Laporte 26, Garcia 19, Gundogan 29, DeBruyne 29, Zinchenko 23, B.Silva 26, D.Silva 34, Fernandinho 35, Rodri 24, Mahrez 29, Foden 20, Sterling 25, Sane 24, Jesus 23, Aguero 32
Almost identical to Liverpool where the majority of the key-players all should have peaked. Aguero, D.Silva, Fernandinho and Sane are all likely to leave. De Bruyne, Otamendi Gundogan, Walker and Mahrez are 29-32. Of the younger players, only Sterling and Laporte have shown the same consistency and quality as the older key-players have. Rodri, Foden, Mendy, Cancelo, Zinchenko, Jesus, Stones and B.Silva have all done well, but not at the same level. Several of these can still improve a lot of course - especially Jesus and Foden
Manchester United:
De Gea 29, VNL 26, Maguire 27, Bailly 26, Shaw 25, AWB 23, Dalot 21, Williams 19, Tuanzebe 22, Pogba 27, Lingard 27, Pereira 24, Fred 27, Bruno 25, James 22, Matic 32, McTominay 23, Martial 24, Rashford 22, Greenwood 18
A completely different age-structure compared to City and Liverpool. Looking at the key-players only DDG of the key-players is around 30 - Pogba, Fred, Maguire and Bruno are 25-28 and Rashford, Martial, AWB and McTominay are 21-24 - in addition whereas City and Liverpool have a couple of players each in the age-group 18-22 used regularly, Man United have 6-7 (depends if you count Chong and Gomes). Only 2 players have turned 30, Mata and Matic.
Chelsea:
Kepa 25, Rudiger 27, Alonso 29, Christensen 24, Zouma 25, James 20, Azpiliecueta 31, Tomori 22, Emerson 26, Jorginho 28, Kante 29, Barkley 26, Loftus Cheek 24, Mount 21, Kovacic 26, Gilmour 19, Abraham 22, Giroud 33, Hudson Odoy 19, Pulisic 21, Werner 24, Ziyech 26
Quite similar to United, with a few players turning 30 in Giroud and Azpilicueta. A lot of the key-players are in in their mid-to late 20s - Kovacic, Werner, Ziyech, Rudiger and Kante. In addition a lot of emerging players 19-23 who are all likely to improve - Mount, Gilmour, James, Abraham, Hudson Odoy and Pulisic.
City and Liverpool have fully developed players where the key-players are at the peak of their career - but the majority of these players will need to be replaced over the next 2-3 seasons, but the Corona-virus could make that difficult. It is doubtful that Barcelona or Real can afford to spend £100 million on a 28-29 year old player, so for Liverpool selling Mane, Salah, Firmino to sign new players could be difficult. Citys problem is that the majority of all the signings they have made over the last couple of seasons have failed to establish themselves. City still haven't able to replace Kompany and they have no players close to the level of a peak David Silva, Fernandinho or Aguero
Chelsea and United still look a bit behind City and Liverpool, but Klopp and Guardiola need to get a few signings right in the next 12-18 months to keep it that way, because in my opinion the gap to Chelsea and United will be smaller as the latter have a lot of really talented players developing rapidly.
First some numbers - looking at the players regularly used (age is rounded up if a player has his birthday before the likely starting date of next season)
I only look at Liverpool, City, United or Chelsea as they at the moment look the most likely to fight at the top in the years to come
Liverpool:
Allison 27 - van Dijk 29, Lovren 31, Matip 29, Gomez 23, Robertson 26, TAA 21, Fabinho 26, Wijnaldum 29, Henderson 30, Keita 25, Lallana 32, Shaqiri 28, Oxlade-Chamberlain 27, Firmino 28, Mane 28, Salah 28, Minamino 25, Origi 25
Of all the players used regularly only TAA and Gomez is below 25 and can be expected to improve. A lot of players are in the age-group 28-30 where they are more likely to deteriorate than to improve in the next 2-3 seasons. In addition, only Fabinho and Robertson of the players who 23-27 have shown the same consistency and quality as TAA and the slightly older players - Origi, Minamino, Oxlade Chamberlain and Keita have not yet shown that regularly.
Manchester City:
Ederson 27, Walker 30, Stones 26, Mendy 26, Otamendi 32, Cancelo 26, Laporte 26, Garcia 19, Gundogan 29, DeBruyne 29, Zinchenko 23, B.Silva 26, D.Silva 34, Fernandinho 35, Rodri 24, Mahrez 29, Foden 20, Sterling 25, Sane 24, Jesus 23, Aguero 32
Almost identical to Liverpool where the majority of the key-players all should have peaked. Aguero, D.Silva, Fernandinho and Sane are all likely to leave. De Bruyne, Otamendi Gundogan, Walker and Mahrez are 29-32. Of the younger players, only Sterling and Laporte have shown the same consistency and quality as the older key-players have. Rodri, Foden, Mendy, Cancelo, Zinchenko, Jesus, Stones and B.Silva have all done well, but not at the same level. Several of these can still improve a lot of course - especially Jesus and Foden
Manchester United:
De Gea 29, VNL 26, Maguire 27, Bailly 26, Shaw 25, AWB 23, Dalot 21, Williams 19, Tuanzebe 22, Pogba 27, Lingard 27, Pereira 24, Fred 27, Bruno 25, James 22, Matic 32, McTominay 23, Martial 24, Rashford 22, Greenwood 18
A completely different age-structure compared to City and Liverpool. Looking at the key-players only DDG of the key-players is around 30 - Pogba, Fred, Maguire and Bruno are 25-28 and Rashford, Martial, AWB and McTominay are 21-24 - in addition whereas City and Liverpool have a couple of players each in the age-group 18-22 used regularly, Man United have 6-7 (depends if you count Chong and Gomes). Only 2 players have turned 30, Mata and Matic.
Chelsea:
Kepa 25, Rudiger 27, Alonso 29, Christensen 24, Zouma 25, James 20, Azpiliecueta 31, Tomori 22, Emerson 26, Jorginho 28, Kante 29, Barkley 26, Loftus Cheek 24, Mount 21, Kovacic 26, Gilmour 19, Abraham 22, Giroud 33, Hudson Odoy 19, Pulisic 21, Werner 24, Ziyech 26
Quite similar to United, with a few players turning 30 in Giroud and Azpilicueta. A lot of the key-players are in in their mid-to late 20s - Kovacic, Werner, Ziyech, Rudiger and Kante. In addition a lot of emerging players 19-23 who are all likely to improve - Mount, Gilmour, James, Abraham, Hudson Odoy and Pulisic.
City and Liverpool have fully developed players where the key-players are at the peak of their career - but the majority of these players will need to be replaced over the next 2-3 seasons, but the Corona-virus could make that difficult. It is doubtful that Barcelona or Real can afford to spend £100 million on a 28-29 year old player, so for Liverpool selling Mane, Salah, Firmino to sign new players could be difficult. Citys problem is that the majority of all the signings they have made over the last couple of seasons have failed to establish themselves. City still haven't able to replace Kompany and they have no players close to the level of a peak David Silva, Fernandinho or Aguero
Chelsea and United still look a bit behind City and Liverpool, but Klopp and Guardiola need to get a few signings right in the next 12-18 months to keep it that way, because in my opinion the gap to Chelsea and United will be smaller as the latter have a lot of really talented players developing rapidly.