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Dan Ashworth is reported to have informed Outdated Trafford officers they should considerably decrease the typical age of the Manchester United squad throughout his interview for the Sporting Director position on the membership.
Ben Jacobs (CaughtOffside) reveals the Newcastle United director, who was positioned on gardening go away by the Tyneside membership following United’s strategy for him, made reference to the growing older nature of Erik ten Hag’s squad as an space of concern.
The reporter reveals sources point out Ashworth claimed “the typical age of the squad should be introduced down by 1.5 years” as a part of the anticipated overhaul this summer time at Outdated Trafford.
The common age of United’s squad this season has been 26.1, which ranks because the ninth oldest within the league.
Aston Villa and Manchester Metropolis rank eighth and seventh respectively, with a mean of 26.5 and 26.7. Against this, nonetheless, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are joint seventeenth, with the London rivals’ squads each averaging at 25.3. Liverpool’s common age is 25.7, placing them in eleventh.
With Metropolis and Liverpool reaching a essential juncture of their workforce’s evolution – as Metropolis might want to quickly change Kyle Walker (33) and Kevin De Bruyne (32), whereas Liverpool might want to plan for all times after Virgil van Dijk (33) and Mohammed Salah (31) – each of United’s rivals will possible be decreasing their common age this summer time as properly.
The 2 London golf equipment – Arsenal and Spurs – are in wholesome positions with younger squads who’re set to enhance with the passage of time, fairly than decline.
As such, Ashworth’s statement throughout his interviews for the chief position at United can have resonated with the INEOS Sport workforce. There’s evidently congruity between the 2 events in Ashworth’s judgement, demonstrated by the actual fact they’re so aggressively pursuing the Newcastle director to guide their revolution at Outdated Trafford.
United’s squad will not be essentially previous, a lot as it’s aged particularly areas; in different positions, Ten Hag’s workforce is nearly too youthful, and requires extra skilled heads to assist information a collection of gifted children.
At centre-back, Raphael Varane and Harry Maguire will each flip 32 subsequent season. Victor Lindelof will flip 30 in the summertime, whereas Jonny Evans reached 36 in January. A youthful, extra bodily succesful centre-back to associate the 25-year-old Lisandro Martinez shall be prioritised this summer time.
It’s an analogous story in midfield, the place final season’s first-choice triumvirate – Casemiro, Christian Eriksen, and Bruno Fernandes – are more and more near the embrace of Father Time. Casemiro and Eriksen will each flip 33 subsequent season, whereas Fernandes will hit the dreaded 30 threshold.
The signing of Mason Mount (25) and the emergence of Kobbie Mainoo (18) supply power and youth in equal measure, however additional funding shall be required to interchange the midfield elders in Ten Hag’s workforce.
The Dutch supervisor’s insistence on a press-heavy type this season, predicated upon dominating transitions, additionally lends itself extra readily to youthful legs. Casemiro and Eriksen have struggled this 12 months in a philosophy they’re ill-suited to, and each gamers had been the topic of curiosity from overseas in January.
With Ashworth drawing nearer and nearer to affirmation because the membership’s new sporting director, a mix of youth and bodily functionality shall be on the forefront of United’s pondering this summer time as they start to revamp their first-team squad; as will the departure of a few of the older gamers within the dressing room.
