Back in the summer of 2008, very few Tottenham Hotspur fans would have recognised the name of Luka Modrić as the club secured his signature from Croatian outfit Dinamo Zagreb.
The hierarchy forked out a reported £16m, with real hope and expectation on his shoulders to provide the goods in the midfield department in North London.
It’s safe to say his spell with the Lilywhites surpassed the expectations of everyone involved, with Modric going on to feature 156 times during his four years at the club.
However, his incredible displays in the Premier League attracted the attention of Real Madrid during the summer of 2012 – resulting in a £30m switch to the Santiago Bernabéu.
13 years on, the club are still searching for their next version of the Croatian superstar, with current boss Thomas Frank having two youngsters at his disposal who could reach such levels in the years ahead.
Spurs’ most impressive youngsters in 2025/26
Archie Gray may have cost the Spurs hierarchy a pretty penny at £40m, but it appears as though it’s an investment for the immediate and long-term future.
The 19-year-old has already racked up over 50 appearances for the Lilywhites, operating in various different positions such as right-back, centre-back, left-back and his natural central midfield role.
Given his tender age, he likely has a future ahead of him in North London, with Frank already having trust in the teenager to produce the goods – as seen by his start in the Champions League this week.
However, Gray isn’t the only youngster who’s already cemented himself within the new manager’s plans, with Lucas Bergvall thriving with valuable first-team minutes.
The Swede also arrived at the club last summer, with the Lilywhites hierarchy forking out a fee in the region of £8.5m for his signature from homeland club Djurgarden.
Many expected him to originally link up with the youth side, but he rapidly cemented his place in the first-team setup – registering a total of 57 appearances in the last 15 months.
He even netted his first Premier League goal earlier this campaign, scoring the superb 3-0 triumph over city rivals West Ham United at the London Stadium.
Despite showings of the aforementioned duo, one other player currently on their books could prove to be their perfect answer to former fan-favourite, Modric.
The Spurs star who could be their next Modric
As seen by the additions of Gray and Bergvall in recent years, the Spurs hierarchy have shifted their recruitment to land younger talents to decrease the age of the squad.
The current age of the first-team squad is 25.3, making Frank’s side one of the youngest in the division – but it’s not stopped them from making an excellent start to the new season.
His men currently sit in sixth position after eight outings and ahead of this weekend’s fixtures, just five points off pace setters and North London rivals, Arsenal.
However, their investment hasn’t stopped numerous academy talents from thriving and staking their claims for regular roles within the first-team.
Luca Williams-Barnett has already made his senior debut at the age of just 16, coming off the bench in the Carabao Cup triumph over Doncaster Rovers back in September.
Numerous of their impressive young talents are currently out on loan, with attacking midfielder Tyrese Hall gaining valuable first-team action at League Two side Notts County.
The 20-year-old has spent numerous years in the youth setup, but he’s taken his first leap into professional football with the Magpies in the 2025/26 season.
Games played
9
Goals & assists
5
Pass completion rate
81%
Chances created
1.2
Successful dribbles
1.9
Shots on target
1.2
Tackles won
3.4
Duels won
6.8
He’s wasted no time in impressing for Martin Patterson’s side, subsequently scoring five times and registering one assist across all competitions to date.
Hall has already netted three match-winning goals during his temporary stint in Nottingham – already cementing himself as a key member of the squad during their promotion push.
As a result of his impressive form in recent years, former Lilywhites star Jermaine Defoe has been singing his praises, claiming that he has a “Luka Modric sort of vibe” to his current playstyle.
“He’s someone who I believe is a Premier League footballer. And it’s a big statement, but he’s someone who, when I first saw him, I believe, god willing, that he’s someone that can go on and play at a top, top level.
“Unbelievable footballer. So much potential, and he reminds me a little bit, technically, how he is, so silky, again another big statement, of that Luka Modric sort of vibe, and Joe Cole.”
Given the jump between League Two and the Premier League, it will certainly take time for the youngster to make his impression on Frank’s first-team squad.
However, his recent form is evidence that he has bags of talent within his game at present, with the midfielder having the chance to prove Defoe right in the coming years.