Madrid's team for the future

For better or for worse, football is a sport that works in cycles. After winning four Champions League in five years, it was time for Real Madrid to make a change - something that they are doing drastically this summer. They have already signed five players ahead of the 2019-20 season and at 28 years-old, Eden Hazard is the oldest. None of the other recent signings, however, are over 24.

Real Madrid's strategy is quite simple. Although signings such as Hazard, and possibly Pogba or Mbappé in the future, could be considered as 'Galacticos', the club want to now build a squad that, within a few years time, will be brimming with talent at the peak of their careers - they want another golden generation.

The revolution started gradually last summer. Álvaro Odriozola (22), Vinicius Jr (18) and Thibaut Courtois (26) all arrived at the club, with the Belgian keeper being the oldest of their new signings. In January, they added Brahim Díaz to their squad, who at 19 broke into the first team and impressed Zidane during the last few games of the season. Mariano Díaz (25) also arrived at the club last summer, but he struggled for minutes and consistency and his future at this 'new Madrid' is in doubt.

Now, five more players have been added to the four signed last season. Although Hazard can't be considered a young talent after several years shining at Chelsea, he insisted at his presentation that he is in the best moment of his career and that he sees himself improving over the next few years. He will act as a leader and a reference point for Madrid's promising players in attack.

The other players signed are clearly ones for the future. The first to be announced was Rodrygo, who arrives a year after fellow Brazilian Vinicius and has just turned 18. Luka Jovic, one of the Bundesliga's best strikers, and Eder Militao, who caught the eye in Portugal, are both 21. For his part, Ferland Mendy already matured notably during his time at Lyon, but at 24, has his best years ahead of him still.

The average age of these new signings is just 21.8, which bodes well for the future. If these players stay together for the next five years, the average age will be around 27 - the age in which footballers usually reach their peak.