I wrote back in December that the Dinamo Zagreb president had allegedly turned down an offer of £35m for the club's star playmaker Luka Modric and that the diminutive midfielder wouldn't be leaving Zagreb any time soon. Fast forward four months.

Stealing an early march on a host of big name admirers, Tottenham Hotspur wrapped up Modric's signing in principle last night for a fee of £15.8m to bring one of Europe's most sought after players to White Hart Lane for next season.

With Euro 2008 only around the corner I was expecting the traditional brinksmanship wheeling and dealing by Modric's agents as they must have known that his value would rise on the back of a starring performance for tournament dark horses Croatia. Instead they've got a great deal tied up early to allow Modric the chance to concentrate on his football over the summer with no lingering worries about his club career hanging over him. Well done Tottenham, a great piece of transfer market dealing wrapped up early and another of Europe's top young stars to parade in the English Premier League next season.

(Image copyright Alex Livesey / Getty Images)