Barcelona and Real Madrid top the rankings for the longest average contract duration of first team squad members.

Research by CIES Football Observatory which looked at data for all the big-5 European league teams found that on average, a Barcelona first team squad member has 3.23 years of contract remaining. This figure is 3.59 for the 11 players who have been fielded the most in their domestic league games so far this year.

First team players at LaLiga rivals Real Madrid had on average 3.19 years remaining (3.50 yrs Top 11). 

The data also shows that six out of the eight top ranked clubs are still competing in European Cup competition illustrating the relationships between long-term planning and success.

Of the English clubs analysed, Tottenham Hotspur offered the most stability to players with an average duration of 3.18 years (Top 11 players 3.23 yrs). They were followed by Manchester City with 2.89 years (3.23 yrs Top 11) and Liverpool 2.85 (3.35 yrs Top 11).

Manchester United players have just 2.19 years (2.32 yrs Top 11) on their contracts as the club continues its efforts to re-establish itself at the top of the English and European game.

At the opposite end of the table, the lowest figure overall was observed for the French side Amiens (0.99 years). In three clubs only, the average contract duration of the 11 most fielded players is below one year: Crotone, Benevento and Strasbourg.

All the teams at the bottom of the rankings are confronted with the difficulty of renovating their squads without losing competitiveness.

Image: PA Images