Latest Spurs target a better deal than Villa or Damiao

A concrete newsbite for Tottenham fans mulling over their pursuit of striking options for next season has emerged after the Daily Star reported that the White Hart Lane club have tabled a bid of £17m for Valencia striker Roberto Soldado.

Such news will come as a welcome change from interminable noises-off regarding potential deals for long-mooted targets Leandro Damiao and more recently David Villa.

Soldado is one of the most prolific strikers in Spain outside the Clasico clubs, averaging a goal every other game or more for the past six seasons.

His strike rate comes as all the more admirable when it’s considered that his employers – the perennially skint Valencia – have consistently had to sell the best players around him to balance the books during that time.

The striker’s contract at the Mestalla includes a £26m release clause, although the Star suggest that Spurs will be able to pick him up for a bargain fee due to his club’s financial woes.

The former Real Madrid and Getafe goal-machine is arguably a better signing at the prices than either Damiao or Villa, being more proven amongst the rigours of European competition at the highest level than the Brazilian and having more of his best years in front of him than his Spanish teammate.

The Lilywhites are already in the advanced stages of negotiations to bring in Brazilian Confederations Cup star Paulinho and Dinamo Zagreb starlets Alen Halilovic and Tin Jedvaj, but the signing of an established name such as Soldado would be a major statement of intent from the club’s board.

With the future of Gareth Bale still far from resolved, such signings could play a vital role in convincing the Welshman that regular Champions League football at the Lane is not just a pipe dream.

At present Spurs have slipped down the Premier League top four finish betting pecking order from their usual fifth place position, finding themselves sixth favourites behind big-recruiting Liverpool at 19/10.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.