Barca starlet set to join as Spurs get creative

Last updated : 28 May 2008 By Gareth Davies
Barcelona attacking midfielder Geovani Dos Santos is set to become Juande Ramos' second big money signing of the summer. The two club's have agreed a fee within the region of £9m for the 19-year-old play-maker who signature has been coveted by some of the continents biggest clubs.

Dos Santos will be second attack-minded midfielder to join the club in recent weeks and will join Luka Modric in a new-look Tottenham midfield. Ramos has identified his side's desperate need for creativity and moved quickly to secure two of the brightest young talents in the game.

The deal to bring Dos Santos to White Hart Lane is perhaps the more surprising of the two given that few were mentioning his name as a potential addition to the squad when the league drew to a close. Manchester City will be particularly disappointed - it was believed that they were favourites to secure the youngsters services but those plans were, perhaps, undermined by the continuing confusion surrounding Sven's future.

Geovani, who has drawn favourable comparison with fellow Barca star Ronaldinho, arrives with a big reputation. Having scored a hat-trick against Real Murcia in recent weeks he surely has an eye for a goal that Ramos' midfield has lacked at times. One worry will be that if Modric, Dos Santos, Steed Malbranque and Aaron Lennon ever line up in the same midfield, we'll have the smallest midfield the world has ever seen.

With the expected capture of Dos Santos, and of Palace midfielder John Bostock, Ramos has shown himself to be a firm believer in nurturing young talent with tremendous potential. Fans should already be looking forward to next season with baited breath.