We’ve seen some out-of-window
contract extensions in west London recently.
At Chelsea, David Luiz signed up for another year, through to 2017. And Aaron Hughes did likewise at Fulham,
taking him through to 2014. So, rather
different contract lengths – and rather different ages too. Luiz is 25, whilst Hughes is 32.
Do these details tell us anything
about the characteristics of their respective clubs’ squads? As it happens, they do.
1.
Fulham’s squad has an average age, as of today,
of about 29. At Chelsea, it’s a much
more youthful 26. And the average
Chelsea player is signed up until late 2015, whereas at Fulham it’s mid-2014 –
almost 18 months’ difference. That’s the hidden benefit of being a big club
– since you know you’re not going to find yourself in the Championship, you can
plan ahead with that much more confidence.
2.
You can also afford to buy players with resale value. The average Chelsea player will be 29 when
his contract expires, or 28 if sold a year in advance of that. That’s young enough to command a decent
fee. But the average Fulham player will
be 30 when his contract has a year to run – much less easy to get a fee for
players like that.
3.
While we’re at it, how do QPR measure up on these criteria?
They look pretty similar to Fulham, is the short answer. As of today, their average player is aged 28
and is contracted until mid-2014, when he’ll be aged 30.
