As well as signing youngsters with the highest level of ability, football clubs are also always on the lookout for players who have a wealth of experience to their name.
From Thiago Silva at Chelsea to Tim Ream at Fulham, Premier League clubs in particular have some of the oldest current stars in football still playing for their sides week in and week out in an effort to bolster their chances of winning.
The adage "you'll never win anything with kids" might have been disproved nearly 30 years ago, but teams will generally aim for a mixture of calm older heads and exuberant younger talents to give themselves the best chance of achieving their aims.
The Sporting News looks at which clubs have the youngest and oldest average ages as the 2023/24 Premier League season gets underway.
MORE: Premier League new rules for 2023/24 season: Injury-time and offside changes
Which is the youngest squad in the 2023/24 Premier League season?
As of the start of 2023/24, Chelsea are the Premier League club with the youngest squad in terms of average age (23.7 years), however, that figure will be challenged through the campaign, based on the opening weekend of the season.
After going on a relentless spending spree under new owner Todd Boehly, which has focused on signing some of the best young talent in the world, it's not a surprise to see Chelsea have the youngest average-aged squad in the Premier League this season.
That's continued this summer with the signings of Christopher Nkunku, Axel Disasi, Robert Sanchez, Nicolas Jackson, Lesley Ugochukwu and Angelo who are all 25 years old or less.
The return of players like Levi Colwill — who spent last season on loan at Brighton & Hove Albion — has also helped to drive down the squad's average age.
Which is the oldest squad in the 2023/24 Premier League season?
As of the start of 2023/24, the oldest playing squad in the Premier League in terms of average player age belongs to West Ham (28.1 years old).
David Moyes' side finally made their first signing of the summer transfer window as they confirmed a deal for Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez. The Mexico international does not turn 26 until October, but the departures of Declan Rice, Gianluca Scamacca and Nikola Vlasic — who are all 25 or under — will have significantly increased the squad's average age nonetheless.
The Hammers squad also boasts seven players who are aged 30 or over, which is one of the highest such tallies in the English top flight.
Full list of average squad ages in the 2023/24 Premier League
*Data correct as of August 17 and according to Transfermarkt.
| Team | Average age | Squad size |
| Chelsea | 23.7 | 31 |
| Burnley | 24.3 | 32 |
| Arsenal | 24.9 | 32 |
| Tottenham | 25 | 35 |
| Manchester United | 25.1 | 35 |
| Tottenham | 25.5 | 35 |
| Brighton | 25.1 | 29 |
| Bournemouth | 25.5 | 30 |
| Brentford | 25.6 | 28 |
| Wolves | 25.8 | 26 |
| Crystal Palace | 25.9 | 26 |
| Sheffield United | 26 | 25 |
| Manchester City | 26.3 | 27 |
| Liverpool | 26.3 | 22 |
| Aston Villa | 26.3 | 28 |
| Luton Town | 26.4 | 31 |
| Nottingham Forest | 26.7 | 35 |
| Everton | 26.8 | 27 |
| Newcastle United | 27.3 | 31 |
| Fulham | 27.3 | 27 |
| West Ham | 28.1 | 22 |
Premier League 2023/24 TV channels, live streams
| Region | TV | Streaming |
| Australia | — | Optus Sport |
| Canada | — | |
| Hong Kong | — | Now TV |
| India | Star Sports | Disney+, Hotstar, JioTV |
| Malaysia | Astro SuperSport | Astro Go |
| New Zealand | Sky Sport | Sky Sport Now, Sky Go |
| Singapore | StarHub | StarHub TV+ |
| UK | Sky Sports, TNT Sports | NOW TV, Sky Go, Amazon Prime |
| USA | USA Network, Telemundo, Universo |
Fubo, Peacock |
UK: Matches are carried across Sky Sports and TNT Sports streaming and TV platforms, with select matches on Amazon Prime.
USA: Select matches are televised on USA Network (English) and Telemundo or Universo (Spanish), and all three channels can be streamed on Fubo. The rest of the matches are streamed on NBC platform Peacock for subscribers.
Canada: Every Premier League game this season is live streaming exclusively via Fubo in Canada.
Australia: Fans in Australia can stream every match live and on demand on Optus Sport.
