Football Position Tenure Curves
Forwards have the longest remaining contracts in football — an average of 31.5 months left on the existing deal, versus 22.9 months for goalkeepers. Across the 1034 tracked players, 22.1% are due to come out of contract within the next 12 months.
Verified September 2026
Average Months Remaining by Position
Full Tenure Table
| Position | Players | Avg Months Left | Median Months Left | Avg Weekly Wage | Expiring 12mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward | 224 | 31.5 | 22.0 | £86,293 | 42 (18.8%) |
| Defender | 373 | 28.0 | 22.0 | £51,272 | 80 (21.4%) |
| Midfielder | 294 | 26.4 | 22.0 | £63,417 | 69 (23.5%) |
| Goalkeeper | 143 | 22.9 | 22.0 | £44,895 | 38 (26.6%) |
Note: "Months Left" measures today → contract expiry, not signing → expiry. The original signing date is not in the public dataset.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which football position has the longest contract tenure?
Forwards have the longest average remaining contract length at 31.5 months (2.62 years). They tend to be the most stable position on a typical senior squad, with clubs amortising the cost of consistency between the sticks.
Which position turns over fastest?
Goalkeepers currently sit on the shortest average remaining deals — 22.9 months — driven by aggressive contract resets when performance peaks or dips. Forwards historically lead this metric.
How is contract tenure measured here?
We measure remaining months from today to the published contract expiry date for each tracked senior player. Original signing date is not in the dataset, so this is a forward-looking tenure curve rather than a back-looking one.
What does a high "expiring 12mo" percentage mean?
A position with a high 12-month expiry share is heading into a renegotiation wave — clubs across the league will need to extend or replace a large share of that role inside a single window, which usually pushes wages upward.
How do positions compare on weekly wage?
The Avg Weekly Wage column shows the mean basic wage for players in each position who have a public wage figure. See the position pay-gap page for full distribution detail including medians and 90th percentile.