5 French Football Stars Ready to Make a High-Profile Transfer This Summer

France Football reported Friday (credit Ben Lyttleton via Twitter for disseminating the news) that of the 26 players included within Les Bleus manager Laurent Blanc's provisional list for the European Championships, 58 percent play their football in Ligue 1, France's top division.

That is a 36-percent jump from the 2002 World Cup squad, which had just five players who plied their trade in Ligue 1.

It's a testament to the growing stature of the domestic league, and it coincides with a conscious decision made by Blanc to promote domestic football by selecting players who take the pitch on a weekly basis in L'Hexagon.

As is the case with many statistics, however, that percentage—while promising—is misleading.

Some international-level players have filtered back in to the Ligue 1 ranks in recent seasons—Jeremy Menez made waves for switching from AS Roma to PSG last summer—but there is still a very real trend of top French talent filtering abroad.

Last summer, Yohan Cabaye and Adil Rami moved from 2010-11 Ligue 1 champions Lille to England (Newcastle) and Spain (Valencia), respectively.

Raphael Varane, while not included in the squad for the Euros, is considered one of the premier French talents. He switched his Lens jersey for that of Real Madrid in June 2011.

This summer, Yann M'Vila, Hugo Lloris and Marvin Martin could become the latest high-profile players to leave France.

The last three are among a group of five players who could make that percentage point dip. Here's a closer look at them.

Yann M'Vila, Rennes

He has been included in Laurent Blanc's France squads since the former Bordeaux manager took over following the disastrous 2010 World Cup and will likely start for Les Bleus at the European Championships.

Despite being just 21, Yann M'Vila is considered one of the brightest young French talents and has been linked heavily with a move to Arsenal. Inter Milan are also reported to be hot on his trail.

M'Vila had decided to wait until after the 2011-12 Ligue 1 season had come to a close to make an announcement regarding his fate.

Whenever he ends up choosing a club, it will likely be a good one, and one outside of France.

Olivier Giroud, Montpellier

Ligue 1's top scorer this past season—he tallied 21 goals while helping lead Montpellier to its first-ever league title—Olivier Giroud is one of the hottest strikers on the transfer market.

At 25, he's entering his prime and has attracted the interest of Arsenal as well as a host of the top teams in Europe.

With Montpellier now guaranteed Champions League football next season, there is a chance he could remain in France to try and build something with the club that gave him his first shot at top-tier football (he was signed from Ligue 2's Tours in 2010).

But considering that a lengthy run in Europe is unlikely at his current club, Giroud will likely look to play elsewhere in 2012-13.

Hugo Lloris, Olympique Lyon

France's No. 1 keeper for almost three years, Hugo Lloris has been frequently linked to Europe's top clubs and will likely be making a switch from Olympique Lyon soon.

Les Gones finished a disappointing fourth place in Ligue 1 this season and will not feature in the Champions League next season for the first time in a decade.

President Jean-Michel Aulas has conceded that he will be forced to scale back his club's ambitions in the financial arena and could be looking to offload his prized keeper as soon as this summer.

Marvin Martin, Sochaux

Martin appeared to be close to making a switch to Arsenal last summer after a 2010-11 season that saw him lead Ligue 1 in assists.

Those rumors proved unfounded, however, and Marvin stayed on at Sochaux for 2011-12. He has continued his impressive form, however and has earned call-ups to the national team after making one of the better debuts in recent memory last summer.

Brought on as a substitute in the waning moments of a moribund friendly with Ukraine, Martin proceeded to score a goal and add an assist in just 15 minutes of playing time.

It was the first time a French player had accomplished that feat in a debut since Zinedine Zidane some 20 years before. Not the worst player to be linked to, if you're Martin.

His talent is undeniable, and there's little doubt that Martin will once again attract a host of suitors this summer.

Kevin Gameiro, Paris Saint-Germain

He was one of the highest-profile omissions from Blanc's provisional list, a major disappointment for Gameiro considering he had enjoyed frequent call-ups to the national team in recent years.

Linked with a switch to Valencia last summer, the former Lorient hit man—he was Ligue 1's second-leading scorer in 2010-11 with 22 goals—heeded Blanc's advice to stay in France rather than go abroad, joining Paris Saint-Germain for €10 million in June 2011.

Seeing as how moving to a Ligue 1 side did not get him a spot on France's European Championships roster, and with playing time at PSG looking increasingly unlikely under manager Carlo Ancelotti (Gameiro made just three starts in PSG's last 10 games of the Ligue 1 season), he may look to move elsewhere for more consistent first-team action.