It happens in nearly every major international tournament. A handful of young, up-and-coming players make a name for themselves with some high-profile performances on the big stage, and their transfer valuations soar as a result.
Euro 2020 is no different, as a good number of young stars did their market value a lot of good thanks to their impressive play in the tournament.
SBOTOP lists down the five players who likely boosted their transfer value the most with their exception exploits in Euro 2020.
Federico Chiesa, Italy
First, let’s start with the champions Italy, who had a lot of breakout stars en route to winning the European Championship.
Manuel Locatelli received a lot of plaudits with his eye-catching displays in the group stage, and he now looks set to make a big-money move this summer with Juventus and Arsenal reportedly battling for his signature.
However, it’s his possible future Juve teammate Federico Chiesa who did more to boost his transfer value. Chiesa was Italy’s most consistent and most dangerous forward in the entire tournament, including in the final against England, as he played with a directness and a fearlessness to go with his sublime skills.
Chiesa is still technically a Fiorentina player on a two-year loan at Juventus, although a deal is in place for Juve to buy him outright for €40 million plus €10 million in variables. If he were on the market right now, though, it would not be a stretch to see him go for close to double that amount – around €70-80 million – because of his amazing Euro 2020 exploits.
Kalvin Phillips, England
Similar to Italy, England also had a number of standout performers who helped them reach the final. Luke Shaw and Declan Rice saw their valuations rise significantly because of their impressive play.
But the Three Lions star who likely saw the biggest bump in his price tag might have been midfielder Kalvin Phillips.
The Leeds star, who has quickly emerged as a Gareth Southgate favourite, was one of five England outfield players to start all seven games at the Euros. He also played the second-most minutes among outfield players (666) behind only defender John Stones (680).
During the tournament, the 25-year-old Phillips showed he is more than capable of being a top-quality defensive midfielder, which a few of the big Premier League clubs could definitely use.
Leeds would obviously be loathed to lose one of their biggest stars, but after Phillips’ excellent Euros, they now stand to earn a massive profit from their proud academy product if they do decide to sell.
Dani Olmo, Spain
Dani Olmo was already one of the most promising young midfielders in Europe heading into Euro 2020, and he raised his stock even more with his fine tournament.
Olmo was instrumental in their classic 5-3 round-of-16 win over Croatia as he set up both of Spain’s goals in extra-time. And he was an integral part of their impressive performance against eventual champions Italy in the semi-final, where he set up Spain’s goal as well.
Following his terrific showing at the Euros, it seems like just a matter of time before Olmo moves on from RB Leipzig to a much bigger club. The only question now is which club is willing to pay double or even treble the €22 million Leipzig paid to sign Olmo, which is what it will likely take for the Red Bulls to sell their Spanish star.
Mikel Damsgaard, Denmark
There were many heroes during Denmark’s Euro 2020 odds-defying run to the semi-finals, but Mikkel Damsgaard did the most good to his transfer value out of all of them.
Damsgaard had the unenviable task of taking the fallen Christian Eriksen’s place as the primary attacking player on the Danish side, but the 21-year-old stepped up to the challenge incredibly well. He scored in the 4-1 win over Russia and set up another in the 4-0 win over Wales, before creating one of the most memorable Euro 2020 highlights with his free-kick against England in the semi-finals.
Despite only just signing for Sampdoria last season, Damsgaard could be on the move once again fairly soon following his Euro 2020 exploits. And with Samp standing to treble or even quadruple the €6.75 million fee they paid to acquire him, that would be amazing business on their part.
Pedri, Spain
Without a doubt, no one increased his transfer value more in Euro 2020 than Pedri. The 18-year-old played a key part in Spain’s improbable run to the semi-finals as he flashed his immense potential for all to see.
The teenager played the second-most minutes out of any Spanish outfield player in the tournament (630), falling just two minutes shy of defender Aymeric Laporte’s 632, while spraying smart and incisive passes all over the pitch.
Barcelona were never going to sell Pedri even before Euro 2020 – he had already played so well this past season – and they especially aren’t going to now. He is the midfield successor to Andres Iniesta that the Blaugrana have been waiting for.
But even if Barca were willing to part with Pedri, given his age and his potential for greatness, it would not be a surprise if he fetches a fee in the €80-100 million range, which is multiple times more than what Barca paid to get Pedri from Las Palmas just a few years ago.
That would be quite a steep price to pay for any player, but based on how Pedri played at Euro 2020, he would be worth every penny.
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