Tottenham Transfer News: Spurs Reportedly Agree Deal for Roberto Soldado

It appears that Tottenham has finally solved their striker dilemma, as Danny Griffiths of Metro is reporting that the club has agreed to a deal with Valencia for Roberto Soldado.

Spurs have been in desperate need of an upgrade at striker for some time now.

Last season, the club had just two experienced strikers, Jermain Defoe and Emmanuel Adebayor, to select from.

While Defoe started the season well, the Englishman's form fell off throughout the season as injuries took their toll on both his playing time and effectiveness.

Meanwhile, Adebayor had some abysmal performances and missed large chunks of the season due to the Africa Cup of Nations in January and prolonged contract negotiations at the start of the season.

Despite these issues, though, the club was unable to procure the signature of a striker in the January transfer window, something that was widely regarded as a failure on chairman Daniel Levy's part.

While PFA Player of the Year award winner Gareth Bale was able to step up in the goalscoring department, Tottenham supporters were left wondering what could have been had the club signed a competent striker in January.

As a result, the top priority at White Hart Lane entering the summer transfer window was to sign a new striker to—at the very least—provide some much-needed depth at the position.

From the very start, Valencia's Roberto Soldado was clearly near the very top of the club's wish list.

The Spaniard has shined in his three seasons at Valencia, increasing his total goal tally each year (25 goals in 2010-11, 27 in 2011-12 and 30 this past year).

While his aerial ability leaves something to be desired, Soldado's skill, ability to hold the ball up and finishing make him a valuable commodity to a club that is looking to mold their style around manager Andre Villas-Boas' preferred holding 4-3-3 lineup.

However, despite the obvious hole that Soldado would fill at White Hart Lane, Tottenham was unable to come to an agreement with Valencia for the first month of the transfer window, allowing other clubs to enter the mix.

On Friday, the Telegraph reported that Liverpool was entering the race for the striker, as the Reds looked for an insurance policy in case Luis Suarez left Anfield.

Apparently, this news spurred Spurs into action, as the North London club has quickly negotiated agreeable terms with Valencia.

According to Griffiths, the clubs have come to terms on a £25.8 million (€30 million) fee for Soldado, with £14 million paid up front and the rest paid after some requirements are reached.

If the report is correct, the fee would smash the previous club record of £17 million, which was also made this month for Brazilian Paulinho.

Normally, such a huge sum would trigger quite a bit of scrutiny at White Hart Lane, especially when it's paid for a 28-year-old.

However, given the club's ambitions entering this season and the striker debacle they encountered this January, supporters should be happy that the club has found a centre-forward who can lead this side to new heights.

Plus, if the reports are true and Gareth Bale is sold for €100 million, this fee would be a pittance—and another striker could even be on his way to the Lane.

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