May 24 – Arsenal have the most ‘sustainable’ squad in world football, according to a CIES Football Observatory study which balances the stability of the squad with its age structure and contract policy.
The North London club sit top of the ranking after an impressive but fruitless season, as they balance a very young squad shaped by long contracts. It’s worth noting that the Gunners also have the smallest squad across the European ranking with only 40 players, of which only 3% are over the age of 31.
Having narrowly missed out on the Premier League title for the second straight year, Arsenal’s youngsters still have their best years ahead of them.
Newly-crowned Premier League champions Manchester City rank fourth, but it is important to note that they have an ageing squad (10% over 31 years old), of which some of the most important players, such as 32-year-old Kevin De Bruyne and 34-year-old Kyle Walker, have already played at their peak.
However, Man City have only 4% of contracts set to expire in 2025 compared to Arsenal’s 11%.
Aston Villa, who completed a remarkable return to top-flight European competition with a top-four Premier League finish, rank second in the table. The future of the club appears to be in safe hands when weighing up contract security and young talent.
Germany’s Borussia Mönchengladbach are third in the ranking, suggesting an improvement in performance is on the way after a disappointing 2023/24 season, provided the club does not decide to dramatically change its policy. City Football Group’s members New York City FC are fifth.
The top ten is rounded out by Brentford FC, the Belgians of Union St-Gilloise, German Champions Bayer Leverkusen, Ukrainian side Rukh Lviv and Real Sociedad. The opposite end of the table is mainly occupied by under-performing teams from leagues with a relatively low level of competitiveness.
To see the full ranking, To see the full ranking, click here.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1734895088labto1734895088ofdlr1734895088owedi1734895088sni@g1734895088niwe.1734895088yrrah1734895088