Spurs open talks to sign their new Modric

This is a summer of great promise for Tottenham Hotspur and boy are they making real inroads in the transfer market.

Having kept Spurs in the division, it seems as though manager Roberto De Zerbi has been given the code to the vault and he’s utilising all of the cash at his disposal. The coffers could be rather empty once the window shuts at the beginning of September.

While signing Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi has not broken the bank, the £52m arrival of Jan Paul van Hecke has really set things in motion.

Yet, a combined £185m could be spent on Matues Fernandes and Sandro Tonali, At long, long last, the Lilywhites are starting to behave like a big team.

Big money attacker on the way after Tonali and Fernandes

De Zerbi is ensuring he covers every single base this summer and after completing a move for either or both of Tonali and Fernandes, sights have been set on improving the forward line.

Plenty of wingers have already been the subject of interest from Spurs with Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford one potential option. Across the city, Tottenham are also in ongoing talks over a move for Brazilian attacker Savinho.

While a move for Rashford could be completed a discounted rate due to his current situation at Old Trafford, the latter will certainly not come cheap. Savinho could take as much as £60m to prise away from the Etihad Stadium.

Those are not the only options, however, with reports from Italy on Monday confirming that FC Como’s Martin Baturina is now a player De Zerbi and Co are considering.

Spurs have already opened talks with the Italian side regarding a move but have been told they will not do business unless they received an offer of around £68m for his services.

Baturina is currently playing for Croatia at the World Cup and actually scored against England during matchweek one of the group stages.

Why Baturina could be Tottenham’s new Luka Modric

While Spurs would love to take the credit for making Luka Modric a Ballon d’Or winner and indeed it was the Lilywhites who first prised him away from Dinamo Zagreb, it was with Real Madrid where the Croat became a genuine legend of the game.

He has won numerous LaLiga titles and plenty of Champions League trophies but despite his notoriety in Madrid, he is still held in high regard back at Tottenham.

Well, in Baturina, they could sign their new Modric and that’s not just because they share the same nationality or came through at Zagreb.

In truth, the 23-year-old is more of a forward thinking player than Modric right now. He played the vast majority of his football last season for Cesc Fabregas’ side on the left flank.

That being said, one of the biggest positives about the young Croatian is that he is versatile. Like Modric when he was younger, Baturina can also play as a number 10 or as a number 8.

It’s for his qualities in that more central position that he has been compared to Spurs’ former midfield player. Indeed, detailing Baturina’s rise three years ago, Como scout Ben Mattinson actually compared the two players.

“Baturina is one of the elite talents in world football”, Mattinson began, before commenting that “the obvious comparison is Modric because of his running and dribbling style but also the defensive effort he puts in.”

Oozing class and composure on the ball, the little 5 foot 8 Croat is similar in stature to his fellow countryman and he’s similarly creative.

Analyst Spencer Mossman even refers to the Spurs target as “one of the best U23 winger creators in football”. The fact he can play out wide is one of the key differences to Modric.

At the World Cup, he has really caught the eye from the flanks, notably completing all six of his dribbles in Croatia’s game with Panama. For context as to how good that is, only four players have recorded a 100% dribble success while attempting more than five dribbles in a single World Cup match in the 21st century.

The others were Angel Di Maria, Sofiane Feghouli and Eden Hazard. He’s already in fine company.

Last season, the young playmaker only scored eight goals and registered four assists but for his first campaign in a top five league, it was good going. At Zagreb, he was a marvel, carving out 12 assists during his final season in Croatia.

Baturina may not be at the forefront of every Spurs supporter’s mind right now but he would be a cracking acquisition.