As is the case with international tournaments, Euro 2024 will yield top-level transfers to players who were previously under the radar. Seeing players, particularly young ones, perform on the biggest stage regularly impresses teams. Think of Sofyan Amrabat after the 2022 World Cup. His performance with Morocco yielded a move to Manchester United. In past Euros, Renato Sanches or Andrey Arshavin fit this mold. Entering tournament, few knew about them. In the aftermath of successful runs, top clubs in Europe demanded their services.
Euro 2024 is no different. Young players have been a mainstay in the headlines throughout the competition. Lamine Yamal became the youngest player to feature at the European Championship with Spain. Jamal Musiala has been the best player at the tournament for Germany. N’golo Kante is back to his brilliant best with France after fading out of the spotlight in Saudi Arabia. Yet, there are players who have burst onto the biggest stage as a result of Euro 2024. After the summer, they will, in all likelihood, be on the way to new clubs.
Georgia has been one of the best stories of the tournament. Playing in the side’s first major international competition, Georgia got out of its group following a historic win over Portugal in the final group-stage game. Despite conceding four goals in those three games, Georgia’s best player was its goalkeeper, Giorgi Mamardashvili.
The Valencia shot-stopper has made a simply outrageous 29 saves in the four games Georgia played in before crashing out against Spain. That is 13 more than the player in second, Florin Nita of Romania. It is 14 more than top goalkeepers like Jan Oblak of Slovenia and Gianluigi Donnarumma, perhaps the best goalkeeper in the world. Mamardashvili had a man-of-the-match performance against Czechia in matchday two before pitching a shutout against Portugal.
At the age of 23, Mamardashvili is younger than players like Donnarumma, which means he can have an outstanding career wherever he goes.
For all the plaudits Georgia has received, the surprise of the tournament has been Turkey. Bolstered by the rising promise of Real Madrid’s Arda Guler, Turkey regularly produces wildly entertaining games. Part of that comes from an impressive defense with Ferdi Kadioglu playing as a left-wing back.
The 24-year-old currently plays for Fenerbahce in his home country. That has kept him out of the public’s eye, but Euro 2024 has focused its spotlight around Kadioglu. Take the round-of-16 game against Austria for example. Of all the players on the pitch, Kadioglu had the most touches, most duels won, most tackles won and most fouls won. That demonstrates that even for his defensive capabilities, Kadioglu is someone willing to join the attack.
Borussia Dortmund looks the most likely landing spot for Kadioglu, with Fenerbahce demanding upwards of $25 to $30 million for his services.
No country can compare historically to Italy’s center-backs. Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi, Fabio Cannavaro and more recently Giorgio Chiellini. Not to put astounding pressure on one of the new boys, but Riccardo Calafiori looks the most likely to be the next of the Italian greats find defense.
Calafiori had a sensational Euro 2024 despite Italy’s exit against Switzerland in the round of 16. The 22-year-old is currently playing for Bologna, an Italian club that earned qualification for the UEFA Champions League under Thiago Motta. Even though Euro 2024 did not go to plan for Luciano Spalletti and Italy, Calafiori was one shining spot.
His ball-carrying ability was apparent when he delivered the assist on Italy’s game-tying goal against Croatia in the final group-stage game. His yellow-card suspension for the Euro 2024 knockout-stage tie against Switzerland was apparent, as the Italians were all over the place defensively. Any club in the market for a center-back should have Calafiori at the top of its list.
Another defender making headway at Euro 2024 is Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi. Taking the place of Gareth Southgate’s trusty Harry Maguire, Guehi has arguably been the best player defensively for England. Key blocks on shots and a physical presence at the back have provided some form of stability for England in an otherwise shaky tournament.
He will face a suspension in the quarterfinal tie against Switzerland, and that may further show how valuable he is to England. Should the Three Lions struggle at the back with Guehi on the sidelines, clubs will understand how important he is. The Crystal Palace captain would be likely to stay in the Premier League if he transfers after Euro 2024. Regardless, he is demonstrating his ability to play in major competitions.
Looking away from the defensive side of Euro 2024, most of the standout strikers have been players at big clubs. Even the younger talents like Jamal Musiala or Lamine Yamal are already at two of the biggest clubs in the world. That does not apply to Georges Mikautadze, the Metz striker who scored 13 goals in 20 Ligue 1 appearances last season.
Mikautadze has made a case as the best striker at Euro 2024. He scored in each of the group-stage games for Georgia. His three goals put him near the top of the goal-scoring charts by the time Georgia fell to Spain. Any team would be making a smart decision in looking at Mikautadze. The Georgian has the ability to finish from tough locations and be a provider. He was the man of the match against Portugal in Georgia’s biggest win ever.
PHOTOS: IMAGO
