As it is with major tournaments, we will see new stars and sensations emerge, and if you do well with them, you get the chance that someone will be knocking on your door and view you as an upgrade.

Take a look at Jordi Alba, for example. FC Barcelona knew that they really needed to find someone who can succeed newly-retired Eric Abidal. With how he is playing for Valencia CF and on display for a Spanish side that has already secured a spot in the final, the Catalans ponyed up €14m to secure his services for the next five years (of course, pending a medical).

Similarly to Jordi and his familiarity with how FC Barcelona plays (via Spain), that was the inkling put into by Juventus with Sebastian Giovinco, considering how many players from the Scudetto holders play for the Azzuri. The Bianconeri managed to buy him out and secure his full ownership from Parma for $14 million.

With all the drama involving the immediate future of Robin van Persie, Arsenal made a move to snatch Frenchman Oliver Giroud. He has been a super sub for Laurent Blanc and the Les Bleus, but he is the main cog behind Montpellier's rise to the top of Ligue 1 in the just concluded 11/12 season. Arsene Wenger is clearly looking for some offensive oomph, after he had earlier secured German international Lukasz Podolski for the upcoming season.

Mario Mandzukic scored three goals for the Croats in the Euros. That obviously got the attention of German powerhouse Bayern Munich, who needed depth up front and lost Ivica Olic to a transfer. So, they paid Wolfsburg an undisclosed amount of cash to be the latest piece in their rearming for the upcoming season, beating out English Premiership side Everton for his services. On the other hand, Vedran Corluka has decided to return to the continent, leaving Tottenham for Lokomotiv Moscow.

On the other hand, grand sporting competitions have been the opportunity for "one last hurrah"-kind of moments. We all remember how badly Carles Puyol wanted to play in the Euros, as this might be his last major football campaign for Spain. Ditto for David Beckham and his quest for the Olympics. And so, this tourney provided the denoument for some names in football, from Dutch captain Marc van Bommel, to Milan Baros of the Czech Republic and to Andriy Shevchenko of co-hosts Ukraine. It still remains to be seen if they will still play club football, but this is pretty much it for playing football while wearing the colors of your country.

Meanwhile, the pressure of doing well in this competition can take a toll on you. Poland's manager Franciszek Smuda tendered in his resignation after the co-hosts were unable to escape the group stage, while Bert van Marwijk has done the same thing for the Netherlands.

With the climax of Euro 2012 approaching, so do the tension amid news and rumors that abound.