A proven scorer, Roberto Soldado was signed for a new record transfer fee for the club, in an attempt to score the goals to take Spurs back into the Champions League.
Don Bosco, a local Valencia side, was Roberto's first club and he joined them in 2000, before being taken to Real Madrid in 2002. Initially starting in the Castilla side, who were Real's B team, Soldado scored prolifically, averaging a goal every two games. When he was taken into the first team squad again, there was no certainty in being included in the starting eleven, with his place at the club thrown into doubt by his being the first player to leave the club when new manager Fabio Capello took over. Roberto moved to Osasuna as they could offer him Champions League football and he ended the season long loan as the club's top scorer.
Returning to the Bernabeu in 2007, the striker signed a new five year deal, but had only one more season with the club, before being sold to Getafe in late 2008 for €4,000,000. The Madrid club proved to be a home for his talents, as his goals helped them maintain their position in La Liga, but when Valencia came knocking in 2010, Getafe could not resist the €10,000,000 fee that took Soldado back to his home town club.
His ability to take his shots on goal early and catch keepers who hadn't set themselves unawares helped him joint top score in La Liga and Valencia finished their season in third place, thus returning to the Champions League. His goal-scoring had found another comfortable home, with an average of over a goal every two games at the Mestella, but towards the end of the 2012-13 season, it was rumoured that he and his agent had fallen out with the President, who, with money worries threatening the club's building of their new stadium, was quietly open to offers for the Spanish international forward.
During his final season at Valencia, Roberto scored 24 goals in 36 La Liga appearances - all from inside the box and this aspect of his play made him one of the most prized penalty area poachers in Europe.
Rumours surrounded the move to Tottenham for a long time, with the player being given extended leave after playing late into July in the Confederations Cup in Brazil, with Spain finishing runners-up. Spurs had to meet the £26 million buy out clause in his contract, but hope it will be money well spent come the end of the season.