With Euro 16 now on, all players participating in the prestigious tournament will be looking to put on a good show. Their reasons, however, may differ a bit.
Everyone wants to win the trophy obviously, but some players may have a personal agenda, and will use the competition as an outlet to showcase their talent in the hopes that bigger clubs - than the ones they’re currently at - will come knocking during the summer break.
Here are five players who could be at the Euros with such a thought in mind.
1) Ante Coric – Croatia
This 19-year-old is hailed as one of the best young talents on the continent right now, and he will be hoping to get his chance on one of the grandest stages Europe has to offer.
The Croatia national started on the bench against Turkey on Sunday, watching his team-mate Luka Modric inspire the country to victory with a remarkable volley. And according to his coach at current club Dinamo Zagreb, the youngster is a bigger talent than Modric and Mateo Kovacic were when they were his age.
Playing in midfield, Coric really does seem a star in the making, and if he gets an opportunity to take the field for Croatia, he will try his best to put his skill on display, knowing that scouts will be watching.
He is already attracting attention from Premier League clubs such as Liverpool, Manchester City and West Ham, and could end up being a summer signing for one of them if nothing goes wrong.
2) Hakan Calhanoglu – Turkey
Despite a disappointing performance for Turkey against Croatia on Sunday, there is no doubting Hakan Calhanoglu’s talent. The Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder is one of the deadliest free kick takers around and has gained a reputation for his unbelievable skill on the dead ball.
At 22, Calhanoglu could go on to become a real world-class player, but he needs to pick up from Sunday’s loss if he is to keep himself in the interest of other clubs.
This player isn’t just good at set pieces, his dribbling and passing ability has improved drastically over the last year or so, and he has said in the past, that he dreams to be “Turkey’s Mesut Ozil”.
Calhanoglu scored seven goals and dished out nine assists for Leverkusen over the season. An impressive Euro 16 could see him land a big move in the near future.
3) Arkadiusz Milik – Poland
Another 22-year-old, Arkadiusz Milik has been Poland’s star at the tournament so far, registering the side’s only goal in their opening match against Northern Ireland on Sunday. Robert Lewandowski has been grabbing the headlines so far, but Milik is quietly going about his business, scoring goals at a great rate.
He has already scored 11 goals in 27 appearances for his country, having made his international debut in October of 2012 at the age of 18.
The striker scored 24 goals in 39 appearances for Ajax this past season, delivering eight assists as well.
While he may not exactly be looking to engineer a move away from Ajax, the player will try his best to impress with every opportunity. He has shown the ability to play well alongside another striker, playing up front with Bayern Munich’s prolific Lewandowski, and could be a great fit for clubs such as Everton or Tottenham, or even Borussia Dortmund.
4) Leroy Sane – Germany
Breaking into Germany’s starting 11 was always going to be a tough ask, but many people are hoping to see 20-year-old Leroy Sane take the pitch for the World Champions in this European championship.
The winger, who currently plays for Schalke, will have to compete with Mesut Ozil, Thomas Muller and Julian Draxler for a place in the side, but Germany coach, Joachim Low knows exactly what he brings to the table.
"He has an incredible awareness of space and he can put his pace to good use," Low said via Espn in November. "His runs are subtle, and despite only being 19, he has shown a lot of promise and has convinced us.
Sane only made his under-21 debut last September but has three international caps to his name right now.
This player has already put a host of clubs on notice with his remarkable performances. A continuation in the Euros definitely won’t hurt his chances of moving on to a bigger outfit.
5) Aleksandr Golovin – Russia
The 20-year-old made his international debut for Russia a little over a year ago, and added another cap to his name against England on Saturday, making it into Leonid Slutsky’s starting 11.
Russia got away with a last-gasp draw against Roy Hodgson’s young lions, scoring in the last minute of stoppage time to steal a point.
Golovin will hope to leave a further impression in his next match, and scouts could be on the lookout for this talent, who currently plies his trade at CSKA Moscow, albeit not a regular starter just yet. Despite not being nailed down to start at his club, the midfielder had scored two goals in three appearances for his country before Saturday’s opener against England.
He is the only player under 25 in the Russian squad, and a good showing on this grand stage could see him earn a move to another club by the time next season rolls around.
