Tottenham sign Modric for £16m

(GETTY IMAGES)

Tottenham have signalled their intentions for next season by agreeing a £15.8m deal for Luka Modric from Dinamo Zagreb.

The 22-year-old is understood to have agreed a five-year contract and is set to undergo a medical imminently, and the deal will be completed when the player obtains a work permit. He was at White Hart Lane on Saturday to watch the Premier League visit of Bolton.

"I'm happy to be joining such a big club," said Modric, who will go to the European Championships with Croatia before starting pre-season training with his new club. "It will be a real pleasure to play in the English league which is the best in Europe, with three English clubs in the semi-finals of the Champions League."

Spurs have ambitions of eventually playing in the Champions League themselves and the signing of Modric is seen as a coup as Chelsea were believed to be interested earlier in the season and Kevin Keegan wanted him at Newcastle.

Dinamo's sporting director Zoran Mamic added: "We're very happy. Luka is leaving for an environment where he's going to progress, while Dinamo showed that we know how to do good deals."

Spurs' head coach Juande Ramos may deploy Modric as a central playmaker but he could also use him to solve the problem the club have had on the left flank in recent seasons.

Ramos is expected to bring his own players in over the summer ahead of his first full season, with Espanyol's Cameroon international goalkeeper Carlos Kameni thought to be on his radar.