By David Lee Wheatley
Tottenham Hotspur today agreed a £26m deal with Valencia for the transfer of Spanish international striker Roberto Soldado.
Real Madrid's relentless pursuit of Gareth Bale appears close to a conclusion and the capture of the former Getafe man will go a long way to make up for the expected loss of the Welsh winger.
Soldado racked up 30 goals in 46 appearances for his club last season and such efficiency will be welcome at White Hart Lane, especially considering the options Andre Villas-Boas currently has open to him.
Jermain Defoe is a predatory finisher, but isn't a player for the long-term at 31 years of age and is possibly on the verge of leaving. Adebayor looked excellent when on loan at Spurs the season before last, but his form faltered badly following completion of a permanent switch and is subject of intense interest from the Turkish league. Meanwhile, Clint Dempsey operates between the midfield and forward line, making the need for an out-and-out striker extremely urgent.
28-year-old Soldado started out at Real Madrid, but struggled to force his way into the first-team and left for Getafe having played just 16 times. A goal every two games with the Madrid-based side brought the attention of bigger clubs and hometown team Valencia signed him up in 2010. Soldado's career surged on to another level with Los Che helping him cement a place in the national squad along the way.
As with all foreign imports, there'll be a settling-down period for Soldado before he feels fully comfortable in his new surroundings, but undoubtedly his supreme eye for goal and positional sense puts him up alongside the very best strikers in world football. During the last two campaigns in particular, the Valencia-born finisher looked consistently excellent.
Spurs already sealed deals for winger Nacer Chadli from Twente and Brazilian star Paulinho from Corininthians before agreeing a fee for Soldado. Another two or three top-class additions financed by the windfall from the likely sale of Gareth Bale should make Tottenham a serious threat to the top three positions in the Premier League this coming season.
Fans may feel disappointed at the prospect of Gareth Bale joining Real Madrid, but they can comfort themselves with the thought that one player doesn't make a team and the north London club are in the process of constructing a squad capable of challenging for top honours both domestically and in Europe.
It really isn't all that bad!
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