October 24 – Chelsea owners BlueCo are closing in on Red Bull as the kings of youth scouting, according to an age recruitment study from the CIES Football Observatory.
The stats show that BlueCo-owned RC Strasbourg recruited almost 80% of their players when they were under the age of 21, making the club by far the youngest recruiters in Europe’s Big-5 leagues.
Brentford are the top-ranked Premier League team in buying youth talent, placing second in the Big-5 leagues. This acts as a testament to Brentford’s off-pitch smarts which has seen the club become an established Premier League team since promotion in 2021.
Red Bull with German club RB Leipzig, place third in the Big-5 leagues, whilst Austrian outfit RB Salzburg places third in world football, across the 49 leagues analysed. At Salzburg, two thirds of their signings were made before the player turned 21. They are also the only Champions League club inside the top eight of ‘young recruiters’ worldwide.
Red Bull hold four teams performing well in the youth recruitment field: RB Salzburg (3rd overall behind MŠK Žilina and Rukh Lviv), RB Leipzig (3rd in Europe’s big-5 behind Strasbourg and Brentford), as well New York RB and RB Bragantino (2nd and 3rd among clubs from the 19 non-European championships surveyed).
Chelsea placed fourth in the Big-5 rankings, with ownership group BlueCo clearly opting for a youth-first transfer strategy. Amongst a plethora of recent signings, only 4% of Chelsea signings were signed over the age of 26, with 52% yet to turn 21 by the time they’ve signed (including talisman Cole Palmer).
Champions League holders Real Madrid also rank well, placing fifth across the Big-5 leagues. Recent statement signings such as 18-year-old Endrick and then-20-year-old Jude Bellingham show the power of Los Blancos scouting.
The lowest score in world football, achieved by Slovakian side MSK Zilina, shows a remarkable 100% of signings were brought in at youth level – an average age of 19.3.
In contrast, teams such as Inter Milan, Atlético Madrid and Girona focus primarily on signing experienced players.
La Liga’s Rayo Vallecano (27.46 years), Serie A’s Como (26.92 years) and Premier League’s West Ham (26.91 years) make up top three teams that sign the oldest players across the Big-5.
To see the full report, click here.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1735242938labto1735242938ofdlr1735242938owedi1735242938sni@g1735242938niwe.1735242938yrrah1735242938