Euro 2012: How Prestigious Tournament Will Impact Transfer Market

Major tournaments during the offseason can have a profound impact on the transfer market because players who shine for their country when the world is watching often see their values dramatically increase, therefore forcing teams to overpay for their services during the transfer window.

This is why you see many clubs look to purchase players before tournaments like the European Championships and the World Cup begin.

The transfer window doesn't shut when the tournament is ongoing, but it's unlikely that clubs will do much transfer business when matches are still being played.

Let's examine how this year's European Championships will impact the summer transfer market.

Players can see their value rise on the world stage

When Barcelona pursued Valencia striker David Villa in the summer of 2010, they bought him before the World Cup started by finalizing his transfer in May.

The Catalan club bought him for €40 million, which was certainly a large fee despite Villa being a world-class striker.

If Barcelona had waited until after the World Cup to conclude in August, Villa's value to Valencia would have skyrocketed because of his strong performances for Spain during their run to the World Cup title.

Villa scored five times in seven matches for Spain in South Africa, and some of those goals were game-winners. Barcelona was lucky to have purchased Villa before the tournament.

Barcelona's situation with Villa is one example of why it's best to make a major purchase before a tournament than after.

Which players/clubs will be impacted in the transfer market by Euro 2012?

Several players involved in transfer rumors this summer will be impacted by the European Championships this month.

Since the tournament is just over a week away, teams don't have much time to finalize transfers with players before the action in Poland and Ukraine commences.

Here is a look at some players who could be affected in the transfer market because of their performance at the Euros.

Player	Current Club (League)	Notes
Yann M'Vila	Stade Rennes (Ligue 1)	M'Vila is a star in the France midfield and is a target of several top clubs, including Inter Milan and Arsenal (Via the Metro).
Gregory van der Wiel	Ajax (Eredivisie)	The Dutch right back will be an integral part of the Netherlands defense, and a strong defensive performance could boost his value in the transfer market. Chelsea is one of the clubs that might be interested in him (Via the Telegraph).
Jordi Alba	Valencia (La Liga)	The defensive-minded youngster is one of the better young players in Spain, and Barcelona is reportedly interested in him (Via Goal.com).
Olivier Giroud	Montpellier (Ligue 1)	The 25-year-old could play a large role for France's attack with striker Loic Remy battling an injury ahead of the Euros. Arsenal is reportedly interested in Giroud (Via the Mirror).

Here are some clubs that could be impacted in the transfer window by the Euros.

Club	League	Notes
Arsenal	Premier League	The Gunners need to strengthen their squad for the upcoming EPL and UCL campaigns. Arsenal would be much better off signing its targets before the Euros since they normally don't like to spend huge money on stars.
Inter Milan	Serie A	Inter is in dire need of young talent to help the club recover from a horrible season in the Serie A. They need to find some young stars for the future to take over an aging club. The European championships will show them which players are worth investing in.
Chelsea	Premier League	Even after bringing Eden Hazard to Stamford Bridge this transfer window, I can't imagine the new European champions are done with their summer spending.
Barcelona	La Liga	After finishing second in the league, and losing to Chelsea in the semifinal of the UCL, Barcelona needs to make improvements, especially on defense, to win multiple trophies next season.
Paris St. Germain (PSG)	Ligue 1	The French club has rich owners and is coming off a successful Ligue 1 season. They will want to have a strong squad for next year's Champions League.

What about players entering the final year of their current contracts?

The European championships could have a big impact on players who will enter the final year of their current contracts this season.

Any injuries picked up could hurt their value in the transfer market because team's won't want to spend big money on a player who is coming off an injury, or has a long injury history.

Robin van Persie of Arsenal will enter the final year of his deal next season and will look to prove he can stay injury free throughout the summer and into next season. If he gets hurt at the Euros for Netherlands, his value in the transfer market could go way down given his injury history.

Conclusion

It's unlikely that teams will finalize transfers during the tournament, but Euro 2012 will have a big impact on the transfer market.

Players who lead their nation to great success will see their transfer value rise, and teams might not even want to let them go if they prove their worth on the European stage.

It will be interesting to see who's value rises and falls when the champion of Europe is crowned.

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