The Secret to Transfer Success. 

Aka: The Age of Smart Transfers

By Paul Tomkins.

The notion that players aged between 20 and 22 make the ideal signings has gathered weight in recent times. Anyone younger may just be a flash in the pan, while older players tend to command bigger wages (because they’re used to being paid well) and have a diminishing sell-on value.

With this in mind, I thought it would be a good time to look back at Liverpool’s Premier League signings – over 100 deals – to see how value for money relates to age. We can all think of great young buys and rubbish older purchases, just as we can all think of rubbish young buys and great older purchases.

But what’s the general trend? Does the theory about buying players aged between 20 and 22 hold true? What Liverpool managers have been most successful at buying players at the right age?

Also [teaser alert], it turns out that there is one age-range that is totally disastrous – but what is it?

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