5 Star Names from the European U21 Championships Top Clubs Should Be Looking at

The Under-21 European Championships are over, and before too long we'll be back among the weekly fun and games of domestic football. But before all that, we have a whole summer of transfer activity to dig through. 

Players will be coming and going all across Europe as armies of scouts tour the continent in search of the next big talent. Such activity will of course have circulated around this very youth competition that took part in Prague over the course of the past month. 

So let's take a look at the five players on show throughout this competition that some of Europe's biggest clubs should keep their eye on. 

Sergio Oliveira

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Although there may have been flashier names and brighter stars in this summer's Portugal side, none really shone or stood out quite as well as central midfielder Sergio Oliveira. 

Of course, the rise of the 23-year-old Porto starlet will come as little surprise to any fans in Portugal, yet it is only now that much of the continent has seen just what Oliveira can do. 

Unlike his box-to-box teammate William Carvalho, Oliveira is much subtler in his style of play. Making the smart passes and finding the correct pockets of space, this central midfielder could easily slot in to any top side at a moment's notice. He has the vision and intelligence to thrive at the top level. 

Amin Younes

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In a similar sense to Oliveira, Amin Younes joins this list as a player who has flown under the radar of most top scouts across Europe. He certainly arrived at this summer's tournament as anything but Germany's most highly anticipated star. 

Yet as the competition got underway, it was clear that the 21-year-old was consistently outperforming his colleagues in each and every encounter Germany came up against. 

The winger is small (5'6", 148 lbs), but he uses that to his advantage with a low centre of gravity that enables him to turn almost instantaneously. Add to that the ability to jink past any defender and you have a forward with a bright future in the game. 

Ondrej Petrak

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Another midfielder on this list is Czech Republic central midfielder Ondrej Petrak. He was a relatively unknown talent who went on to become one of the U21's most prominent playmakers. 

According to WhoScored.com Petrak pulled off more assists than any other player in the competition, despite seeing his side get knocked out after just three games. 

A true box-to-box midfielder by nature, Petrak regularly plays in central defence for Nuremberg in Germany's second division of Bundesliga but can just as easily play as a versatile central midfielder. He's a young talent who will be making his way up the German football ladder in the next few years. 

Bernardo Silva

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As perhaps the most notable name in the competition, let alone this list, Bernardo Silva's inclusion should come as little surprise to many who follow football with any real intent. 

The Portuguese playmaker may not have been at his best in the final on Tuesday night, but he has lit up this competition like no other with his impressive skills and inventive routes to goal. 

A notable caveat to Silva's inclusion in this list is that he already plays for a big club—Monaco—but as we've seen in the past two seasons, the French side aren't quite what they once were. If a club with a bulging wallet wants this No. 10, then it's doubtful that his side would hold out for too long. 

Emre Can

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Another player who already plays for a big club is Emre Can, who will return to Liverpool after his summer break feeling as though a little appreciation is in order. 

The German international has been playing in defence since he arrived in England, but as he showed for Germany this summer, he's capable of playing in midfield. In fact, he's probably much better as a box-to-box midfielder than anything Brendan Rodgers has asked him to do as of late. 

Sure, Can may not be going anywhere this summer, but 2015 has already proved to be a huge year for the 21-year-old talent. By the time the next U21 Championships roll around, he may well be a regular starter in Germany's first team and one of the biggest names in European football.