“Better late than never” is probably the saying most of us think of when it comes to the 2020 European Championship. The event was delayed by a whole year due to the raging pandemic, along with pretty much every other major football event last year. After a year of almost no sports, everyone from football clubs to online soccer betting operators have been waiting for this event to help them improve their bottom line at least a bit. 2020 hit the clubs’ finances pretty hard, and we’re already seeing its effects – the summer transfer window of 2021 lacks high-profile transfers simply because most clubs can’t afford to sign big stars – instead, they are looking for young talent to improve their squads on a budget.
This year’s European Championship is a perfect way for young talent to shine. Incidentally, this year’s squads are filled with young and talented players who got their chance to get into the spotlight. These players did just that – and some of them already landed the contracts of their dreams thanks to it.
Christoph Baumgartner
At age 21, Austrian midfielder Christoph Baumgartner has already played more than a dozen matches for his country, scoring four times in the process. During his last season in Bundesliga with 1899 Hoffenheim, he scored six goals and set up three – it’s easy to see why both Manchester United and Liverpool had their eye on him.
Baumgartner has no intention of leaving Bundesliga for the time being as he sees it as an opportunity to develop further.
Josip Brekalo
Croatian winger Josip Brekalo is reportedly wanted by Leeds, Arsenal, and Liverpool. In his last seven outings in the Bundesliga, Brelako scored four goals, three of them from outside the box. Last month, the 23-year-old was already “ready to leave” VfL Wolfsburg, and the club is reportedly open to letting him go.
Jude Bellingham
18-year-old Englishman Jude Bellingham earned the title of the Bundesliga Rookie of the Month last September, making more than 40 appearances last season. And his performance made him a prime target for a bunch of teams, including Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United… and Borussia Dortmund itself, that’s hoping to extend his contract this summer.
Marcus Forss
Finland may not be a football powerhouse but it has given the world quite a few great players – and Forss may just be one of them. The 22-year-old forward is currently playing for Brentford after his loan spell at AFC Wimbledon ended early due to an injury, but not before earning him the club’s Young Player of the Year title
Attila Szalai
Szalai has only joined Turkish Süper Lig side Fenerbahce in January but his performance already put him on the radar of Premier League clubs like West Ham and Leeds. Especially after the defender’s impressive performance at the EURO 2020.
