The average age of Manchester United's central midfield is 29-and-a-half and it showed against two early 20-somethings last week.
For the fourth game running, Brighton and Hove Albion sensation Moises Caicedo dominated United, the club he seemed destined to join in January 2021. Three days later, West Ham's Declan Rice was the deserved man of the match in another 1-0 United defeat south of the M6.
Rice enquired about United during discussions with Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw two years ago and he still sounded curious in a post-match interview. Rice could have his pick of the lot this summer.
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"He was outstanding tonight but we had some really big performers," David Moyes said at his post-match press conference. "No surprise to me, he's got a great talent of regaining the ball. You've seen him play for England and the abilities he uses to recover the ball and get around people, he's great across the ground and very quick.
"I'm very pleased but not surprised (of the interest in Rice). It's why he's probably the best English midfield player around and that's why he'll be extremely expensive if anybody comes calling."
Jude Bellingham is a more complete English midfielder but Rice could command a similar fee. Both are valued in the nine-figure region and both have two years remaining on their contracts.
Erik ten Hag has encouraged United to make a second approach for Bellingham three years after he visited their Carrington training complex but they are a distant third-favourites - at best - behind Real Madrid and Manchester City. A source says Ten Hag has also "not closed the door" on wooing Frenkie de Jong again.
United have not been as hot for Rice since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's exit interview 18 months ago. Rice would enhance almost every Premier League midfield and he has the skill set to develop similarly to Yaya Toure, all steel at Barcelona but silky for Manchester City.
Whoever United plump for, it has to be a midfielder with a similar age to the 24-year-old Rice. Casemiro and Christian Eriksen's 31 years were apparent in another onerous week of two away games three days apart.
Eriksen was unused at Brighton, where Fred demonstrated why he had gone two months without a Premier League start. The highlight, or lowlight, was an attempted lofted pass into Brighton's half. Fred shinned the ball into touch for a throw-in inside United's half.
United's wobble in the Premier League is so startling they are missing Scott McTominay's robustness. McTominay is the weakest, technically, of the four senior midfielders permanently on United's books but he is also the fittest. United were leggy in the middle in the second halves against Tottenham, Brighton and West Ham.
Ten Hag admitted United were "overrun" by Brighton in the final 20 minutes. Roberto de Zerbi innovatively started Caicedo at right-back yet he covered so much ground it felt like an illusion. Brighton outnumbered United with Billy Gilmour and Alexis Mac Allister pitted against Casemiro and Fred.
Gilmour is 21 and Mac Allister 24. Eriksen was 21 when he joined Tottenham almost a decade ago and a 24-year-old Casemiro started his first Champions League final in Milan in 2016.
Eriksen and Casemiro have been successful signings and are two of United's finest performers this term. In a squad teeming with character defects, they are among a handful Ten Hag can largely depend upon and Eriksen produced virtuoso performances at Nottingham Forest and Spurs last month. Casemiro is possibly the only United player to rival Marcus Rashford for the Sir Matt Busby statue.
It is still unsustainable for United to persist with two elderly starters next season. Eriksen has been substituted in 22 of his 33 starts while durability is not as much of an issue as discipline for Casemiro. He has missed eight matches through suspension and he was fortunate not to be expelled for a third time at Brighton.
United are not the only ones facing a possible midfield malaise. Arsenal are keen on Rice as Thomas Partey will be 30 for the start of next season and Granit Xhaka turns 31 in September. Three of Liverpool's six senior midfielders are in their 30s and two turn 30 later this year. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita will be released, freeing room for reinforcements.
Rodri, so pivotal for Manchester City, is 26 but the 32-year-old Ilkay Gundogan could leave when his contract expires in June. Kalvin Phillips's annus horribilis could see him moved on, so City will require an additional midfielder, however masterfully John Stones has stepped up into the middle third.
You cannot turn a corner at Chelsea's training ground without bumping into a midfield and they impressionably splurged a British record £106.8m on Enzo Fernandez after he lifted the World Cup. Unless United scout prudently, a similar outlay is probable.
To do that, they will likely have to sell-to-buy. Money has been set aside for a striker but outgoings are essential to meet the Premier League's profitability and sustainability rules. It happened last year (James Garner out, Casemiro in). Fred is out of contract next year but McTominay has greater resale value.
According to one club source, the signings of Casemiro and Antony were "bankrolled". The timing of those deals (after the generational nadir at Brentford) was a giveaway. United cannot be as reactive this summer, whoever's name is billed as the owner in the programme.
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