Heavily linked with Spurs this summer, striker Roberto Soldado leaving Mestalla Stadium has been a real possibility for a while.
However, things don’t sound so good from the Tottenham Hotspur camp regarding the negotiations.
With Valencia declaring Wednesday that Spurs will be required to meet the €30 million ($40 million) release clause in the the 28-year-old’s contract, but Spurs manager Andre-Villas Boas admits things have slowed down.
“He’s a player we are interested in having, but I don’t have any further developments to give you” said AVB.
That doesn’t mean all is lost, though.
“There is interest in the player, no matter what has happened in the last couple of days,” said Villas-Boas. “We are in conversations, in discussions, but that doesn’t mean a deal is going to happen for a player that is a quality player. He has done well in Valencia for the last five seasons and had a good education from the Real Madrid school from where he’s from.”
While Spurs will be wanting to grab the striker for less than his release clause, it doesn’t seem like Valencia will be bugging at all. They’ve said over and over again it’s the release clause, or nothing.
“We listened to him and we said what we have always said” Valencia president Amadeo Salvo declared. “The price is €30m, then the boy himself can decide if he leaves and that the conditions of pay are what they are.”
Soldado’s La Liga goalscoring record speaks for itself. 67 Primera Division appearances (62 starts) have seen 41 goals fly in off the feet of the Spaniard. He scored a goal for Spain against Uruguay in the Confederations Cup group stage as well.
Spurs are thin at the front and were all of last season, with Jermain Defoe and Emmanuel Adebayor both injured or on international duty for more than anticipated.
Valencia may be less inclined to sell cheaper now that Pablo Osvaldo turned them down as well, as striker options continue to thin as the transfer window drags on.