The day after news filtered through that our interest in Brazilian wonderkid Diego had waned, the club announced that another highly-rated Brazilian has agreed terms and should join next week.

The Samba starlet in question is Rodrigo Defendi, appropriately enough a defender. The 18 year old will join us for £600,000 from Cruzeiro. Not sure how Spurs are getting around the work permit issues - no doubt a convenient EU passport is waiting in the wings.

The 4 year deal he's been offered suggest the new management trio see him as one for the future. A quick look on Cruzeiro's website show Defendi grouped in with their under-20s rather than the 1st team squad so it's hard to know how experienced the youngster is.

An overwhelming majority (87% of the 1634 votes) felt that Spurs need to strengthen the centre of midfield. 70% felt that a defensive midfielder should be top of Frank's shopping list

Davids may well be the player who fits the bill judging by his recent comments but if he turns us down after his hols I'm sure they'll have other options lined up.

Hopefully Defendi won't be the only outfield player we sign over the summer - only 104 people voted that this area needed strengthening first.

Results:

Goalkeeper (3)	0 %
Right back (4)	0 %
Left back (52)	3 %
Centre back (48)	2 %
Defensive midfielder (1159)	70 %
Attacking midfielder (278)	17 %
Right winger (1)	0 %
Left winger (85)	5 %
Forward (4)	0 %

A sudden flurry of transfer activity over the last couple of days - with virtually no money actually leaving the White Hart Lane coffers - will have done a great deal to reassure Spurs fans that Santini is going the right way about strengthening the squad.

Homesick Helder Postiga gets his desired return to Porto without us making too much of a loss on the sum we splashed out last summer. Champions League winner Pedro Mendes comes the other way, an "all-round midfielder" in his own words.

Most, if not all, of the surplus from the Postiga deal will have gone on capturing Sean Davis from Fulham. Another gritty midfielder whose ability to win the ball and start moves should come in very handy over the next few seasons.

Postiga's exit puts Spurs back in the market for a striker, unless Santini likes the look of the returning Rebrov, as going into a season with only 3 experienced Premiership strikers is asking for trouble even with our new look medical team. Fredi Kanoute is the only forward with any real aerial threat and he's never been flavour of the month where Santini's concerned so I think it could well be a big target man that gets brought in.

The next position to fill would appear to be the left back spot, left vacant by the departing Christian Ziege. Latest reports suggest Portsmouth's Matt Taylor could be on his way as Pompey are looking to bring in David Unsworth from Everton as a replacement. It's also been suggested that Dean Richards could be on his way out of the club as part of that deal - no great loss after last season's performances but I'd like to see another experienced centre back coming in as too much reliance on a partnership of Gardner and King with the Ginger Pele lurking on the bench could prove dangerous.

Managed to escape the confines of Aldershot and head into London for the last couple of days.

Knocked off work early on Friday so I could jump on a train into the capital and headed over to Kilburn to meet Little Chris, a mate from Uni. Actually ended up meeting him at Waterloo as he was on his way back from work

The absence of staff at Aldershot station and on the train allowed me to blag a travelcard as if I'd only travelled from Clapham Junction. Their fault, not mine.

Went for a couple of beers with Little Chris, his brother and his brother's fiancee in the North London Tavern before heading off to Leicester Square.

After a quick KFC to line the stomach, we met up with the Nanny Mafia - a load of Antipodean au pairs - and a few of their mates.

Had a few pints in Yates' before going to Tiger Tiger. Got charged a tenner to get in and enjoy overpriced drinks. Sometimes I think the bars and clubs in London believe a bit too much of their own press as I've not found many places I'd write home about. We had got tickets for schooldisco but Sound has lost it's late licence so I ended up getting a refund earlier in the week.

Ended up wandering over to Chinatown. Left the first place we tried due to a stroppy waitress. Managed to find the legendary Hungry Ghost which our accomplice Upi had been raving about - except it was called the Laughing Buddha. Food was good if overpriced - not helped by a sly 10% service charge being tacked on.

Nightbus back to Kilburn via a 24-hour store to get essential fry up ingredients. Almost daylight by the time we got home - a regular occurrence during my placement year in Frankfurt but rare back in Blighty.

Yesterday we eventually dragged ourselves over to London Bridge in the afternoon for a few riverside beers. Wetherburgers for dinner then cinema. Had planned to see Fahrenheit 9/11 but it wasn't on so settled for Shrek 2. Beers in the Walkabout followed. They had a band on. Played the instruments well enough but the choice of songs left the singer struggling to hit some of the notes.

Fairly uneventful day today. Headed home early afternoon and been watching TV and reading transfer rumours ever since.

How do you think we'll fare under Santini?

Other than the usual abuse of the email, internet and postal service I've found out that where I work does have its advantages.

Spent a fair bit of this afternoon staring out of the windows watching the Red Arrows doing their full rehearsal for the Farnborough Airshow. Later on a Stealth bomber did a couple of fly-bys.

Meant that I achieved the sum total of sweet FA at work today, not helped by constant interruptions.

Off out to Guildford tonight for a colleague's leaving do. Excuse for beers as if one's needed.

Then back home for the weekend to see a few old mates. Again beers might be a possibility.

Is there some kind of Z obsession going on at Spurs?

Maybe they over-ordered in the kit shop?

Zamora, Ziege and now Ziegler. (Who's next? Zidane?)

Small print in the article on the official wbsite says he's joining in January subject to formalities. Suggests he's another one for the future. Never heard of him but Arnie seems to know his stuff and he's snapped up this 18 year old Swiss left back from Grasshoppers Zurich where's he been getting first team experience.

Big question, can he tackle better than Treacle and can he cross better than Etherington?

Speaking of Matty, good to see another resident seems to be moving into the Upton Park retirement home for ex-Spurs players (a fully owned subsidiary of the Tottenham Hotspur feeder club). Sergei's been training with the Hammers according to the Beeb.