Spurs Closing on £9m Giovani

Juande Ramos' revamp of the Tottenham Hotspur squad is set to continue with the surprise signing of the Mexican attacking midfielder Giovani dos Santos from Barcelona, deflecting longstanding interest from Chelsea and Manchester City in the process, in a deal that could eventually cost the London club some £9m.

Giovani, who turned 19 earlier this month, made 28 league appearances for Barcelona this season and scored three goals, all of them coming on the season's final day in a 5-3 win at Real Murcia.

The midfielder met with his agent, Pini Zahavi, to discuss his future last week with the Catalan club's squad enduring a shake-up under the new coach, Pep Guardiola. Spurs had previously made inquiries as to the availability of their Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o, though talks with the African player's representatives have reached a deadlock over his wage demands.

The attraction of working for Juande Ramos appears to have proved pivotal in swaying Giovani away from City - the current instability around the manager's position at Eastlands can hardly have helped - while he would appear more likely to feature in the first-team at White Hart Lane than at his other mooted suitors, Chelsea.

His prospective arrival fits in with Tottenham's policy of recruiting young players of considerable potential. The Mexican would join the Croatia international Luka Modric and the young English midfielder John Bostock - a compensation package for whom has still to be agreed with Crystal Palace - at White Hart Lane, with Ramos expecting more arrivals to follow.