Spurs new stars Modric and Dos Santos hungry for return of White Hart Lane glory days under boss Ramos

Just hours after Keane had posed in the red shirt of , Modric and Dos Santos were on parade, talking up the shining vision of Juande Ramos which persuaded them to ignore all other offers in favour of Spurs.

Changing Spurs: Tottenham manager Juande Ramos has brought in Giovani Dos Santos (far left), Heurelho Gomes and Luka Modric (right).

Modric spoke of a 'glorious future' at White Hart Lane and of 'phenomenal players', while Dos Santos fixed his sparkling teenage eyes on the role vacated by Keane, in the hole, just behind the centre forward. It is easy to be cynical at this point. After all, Keane has followed Jermain Defoe out of the club this year and Dimitar Berbatov looks certain to join them before the end of August.

These three players scored 62 goals in club football last season and, if Berbatov ends up at Manchester United, they will all be playing against Tottenham next season.

Out with the proven goalscorers - albeit reluctantly - and in with the highly-rated starlets, unfamiliar with the unique demands of English football, is a risky business plan. But this is Ramos clearing the decks and stamping his personality on Tottenham.

He has signed eight players in seven months at a cost of more than £50million. Blackburn's David Bentley should become the ninth after talks took a big step forward yesterday when Spurs increased their original bid to £15m. The recruitment drive will not end there.

'This team has great ambition regardless of Robbie Keane leaving,' said Modric, a £16.5m signing from Dinamo Zagreb at the start of the summer break. 'If Berbatov leaves I'm sure we will find another phenomenal player. This is a big club, there are lots of very good players and I'm certain that a glorious future awaits us.'

The Croat may be slight of stature but he arrives with a huge billing from his national team boss Slaven Bilic, who claims Modric is the 'best player in Europe' and will become Tottenham's 'main power'.

Eyeing a move: Dimitar Berbatov could still follow the likes of Jermain Defoe and Robbie Keane out of the White Hart Lane exit door.

Modric, 22, represents the new era for Spurs and, to get the best from him, Ramos will adopt a flexible formation. The exodus of strikers leaves him short up front but do not be surprised if he tries to play with one central striker supported from behind by such as Dos Santos, Modric and Aaron Lennon.

Arsenal have played that way with some success and the summer transfer targets of Ramos have been the types of footballer Arsene Wenger would normally be linked with - wiry, nimble, inventive, well-balanced and versatile.

Ironically, Wenger is one who harbours doubts about Modric's ability to handle the Premier League's tempo and physical nature but, after a year on loan in Bosnian football as an 18-year-old, the Croat insists he is ready for anything.

'In Bosnia the game is rough and the referees don't spare you,' said Modric. 'It helped me get used to that tough way of playing, so there are no surprises waiting for me.'

Dos Santos, 19, has found himself playing wide on the left in pre-season - a position likely to be soon assumed by Bentley - but the Mexican has dazzled since his £4.8m switch from Barcelona.

He first came to the attention of English clubs in 2005 when he helped Mexico win the Under 17 World Cup in a strike partnership with Carlos Vela, now at Arsenal.

'It's no secret that my favourite position is just behind the striker,' said Dos Santos, but he will not be handed Keane's No 10 shirt. He will wear 17.

He said: 'It would be absurd to compare me to Robbie Keane and what he has achieved at Spurs. To replace him will be very difficult. But I have my own style and I am ambitious. We have a young squad and we are hungry to win trophies.'