When a club decides to fork out just over £17m, the incoming players usually create an atmosphere of anticipation and excitement among fans.
However, Tottenham have reportedly spent that much money on two 17-year-old Croatians from Dinamo Zagreb. Ever heard of Alen Halilovic or Tin Jedvaj?
For Spurs fans that hear “Zagreb” and think ‘a replacement for Modric’, Halilovic could supposedly be just that, having been labelled the new version of the ex-White Hart Lane man.
As for Jedvaj, he is a central defender currently representing his country at U19 level, once courted by Roma.
Both players will remain with the Croatian champions until they turn 18 at least, which for Jedvaj is at the end of November and for Halilovic is in June 2014.
That will give them an opportunity to build on the little senior experience they boast.
After becoming Croatia’s youngest ever debutant last season, Halilovic featured 21 times for his club, including three Champions League appearances. Impressively, he also has a single senior international cap to his name.
Jedvaj broke on the scene at Zagreb last season as well, playing on 13 occasions throughout the campaign.
As seems to be the case with many a starlet today, both players have been talked about as the next superstar of world football.
Halilovic in particular though, has received so much attention that, in a display of humbleness which might impress Tottenham fans, he asked the Croatian media to stop likening him to Lionel Messi.
“Just don’t call me Messi,” he said last year. “I admire Leo, but I am a long way from him. For now my goal is to play well and to show the coach he can count on me.”
To understand the hype surrounding the son of former international midfielder Sejad Halilovic, you need just watch the video of him in action below.
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It appears Halilovic possesses the ability to glide past defenders with effortless ease, as well as a deft goalscoring touch and a canny knack of drifting out wide before driving inside to cause havoc.
Certainly, it is understandable that he was being chased by Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City and a host of other European giants.
What of Jedvaj then? Again, the video below really says it all about him.
He looks to demonstrate all the traits of a stereotypical centre-half, strong in the air and bullish in a tackle.
At the same time though, his aggressiveness seems to be coupled with an instinctive sense of when to time a tackle. What’s more, Jedvaj appears to be able to carry the ball forward, a quality players at the back are expected to have more often than not these days.
Although both are still young, Spurs fans would be hard pushed to suggest they are not the type of players Andre Villas-Boas would want in his side.
As an interchangeable outfit playing fluid football, surely the dynamic game brought to the pitch by each youngster would make them a perfect fit at White Hart Lane?
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