Eddie Howe must address a pressing concern in the summer transfer window
Nick Pope, Dan Burn and Fabian Schar
Nick Pope, Dan Burn and Fabian Schar are all in their 30s
(Image: Getty Images)
Newcastle United's transfer blueprint has been clear almost from the moment Eddie Howe walked through the doors at St James' Park. With a few notable exceptions, the Magpies have targetted younger players with huge potential when it comes to identifying targets, and it has so far paid off.
Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon, Tino Livramento, Lewis Hall, Sandro Tonali and Sven Botman have all arrived on Tyneside with their best years ahead of them, and have gone on to thrive under Howe's tutelage.
Dan Burn and Kieran Trippier were the only real anomalies, although no can argue about the contribution the pair have made to the United cause since signing from Brighton and Atletico Madrid respectively.
But while there is a vibrant feel about the direction United are heading in, the truth is that the squad remains one of the oldest in the Premier League. In fact, based on last season's squads, it's the joint second oldest in the entire division.
Only West Ham (28.7) have a higher average age than United (28.3) were are tied with Fulham. It's a similar picture when it comes to the averae age of the starting XI, with Newcastle's a little lower at 27.4, the fourth highest behind West Ham, Everton and Fulham.
It's not necessarily a bad thing, of course, as Liverpool have shown. The average age of their starting XI is only just below United's at 27.2, and it's not done them any harm.
However, when it comes to looking to future, the Reds have the advantage, with their squad average well below that of Eddie Howe's men.
At the other end of the scale, Chelsea are by far the youngest, with an average squad age of just 23.1 and a starting XI of 23.6.
What it highlights is Newcastle's need to persevere with their transfer policy this summer, or they will face some big problems in the not-too distant future.
A total of 12 of last year's squad were aged of 30 - that's more than a third of the players in contention. In reality it's a much higher percentage, with youngsters such as Sean Neave and Leo Shahar bringing the average down without really being in first-team reckonning.
The likes of Burn, Trippier, Fabian Schar and Nick Pope may be still peforming at the highest level, but replacements must be in the building before their incredibly high standards inevitable drop with age.
That might not be this coming season, but it happens to all players and Newcastle simply cannot be caught short.
It also seriously hampers the ability to sell players on in order to maintain a healthy balance when it comes to PSR. Howe may not want to sell any of his older heads, but they're unlikely to make much of a dint in the balance sheet even if he did.
Newcastle are not blind to the potential issue and cannot solve it overnight, nor do they need to. The players they have been linked with this summer fit the bill when it comes to age and potential, but it does mean any quick fixes are likely to be ruled out.
Howe will not want to jetison experience for the sake of it., quite rightly, but steps must be taken this summer to bring that average down.
Newcastle United squad ages
Over-30s
John Ruddy 38
Martin Dubravka 36
Kieran Trippier 34
Fabian Schar 33
Callum Wilson 33
Mark Gillespie 33
Nick Pope 33
Dan Burn 33
Jamaal Lascelles 31
Odysseas Vlachodimos 31
Emil Krafth 30
Jacob Murphy 30
Matt Targett 29
Joelinton 28
Sean Longstaff 27
Bruno Guimaraes 27
Harvey Barnes 27
Joe Willock 25
Alexander Isak 25
Sven Botman 25
Sandro Tonali 25
Anthony Gordon 24
Harrison Ashby 23
Tino Livramento 22
Joe White 22
Will Osula 21
Under-21s
Lewis Hall 20
Alex Murphy 20
Lewis Miley 19
Travis Hernes 19
Leo Shahar 18
Sean Neave 18
Trevan Sanusi 18