Tottenham complete deal for Roberto Soldado – all you need to know about the £26m signing

A look at the 28-year-old Spaniard's career to-date after he agreed a deal to join Spurs

Roberto Soldado Valencia striker Soldado inspired Valencia to another third place finish in La Liga and to the semi-finals of the Europa League scoring 27 goals in all competitions but still failed to make the cut. Spain manager Vicente del Bosque opted to include Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo instead. “Negredo and Soldado are extraordinary players, but different. One is quicker but the other brings more to the team as a whole,” said Del Bosque. (Getty Images)

Tottenham continued their summer spending today after they agreed a deal to sign Valencia striker Roberto Soldado for £26m, with the completion of the move dependent on a successful medical.

But what do we know about the 28-year-old Spaniard?

Born in Valencia in 1985, Soldado joined the Real Madrid academy at the age of 15 after he had impressed for Valencia-based regional side Don Bosco.

He played for Madrid’s B-team Castilla, becoming a regular goalscorer and an established name in the side, making 120 appearances and scoring 63 goals in all competitions. During his time with Castilla, he was part of the successful European Under-19 Championship squad with Spain in 2004.

Soldado struggled to break into the Real first team though, making just 19 appearances in total although he did score a late winner on his Champions League debut in 2005 in the 2-1 victory against Olympiacos.

At the end of the season, he moved to Osasuna on a season-long loan, and he is their top-scorer for the 2006/7 season with 11 goals, which also helps them reach the semi-finals of the Uefa Cup, as well as his first international call-up to the Spain squad, making his debut in the 2-0 European Championship qualifier over Latvia.

After returning to Madrid, he made five La Liga appearances the following season as Real went on to secure the Primera division title, but it would be his final year with the club as he moved to Madrid-based Getafe for a reported €4m, signing a four-year-deal with the club.

He scored an impressive 29 goals in two seasons at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez, before Valencia came calling in 2010, and he moved to his hometown club for around £8m after they had sold David Villa to Barcelona, taking up the role of Los Che’s lead striker.

In his three years at the Mestalla, he scored 59 league goals, and he also managed to net a second-half hat-trick against Venezuela on his return to the Spain squad in February 2012, having not made an appearance since 2007.

In June this year, he was part of the national squad that finished runners-up to Brazil in the Confederations Cup, and reports soon emerged that Tottenham were interested in his signature once he had returned home, with Andre Villas-Boas keen to add to his striking options of Jermaine Defoe and Emmanuel Adebayor.

On July 31, Valencia president Amadeo Salvo announced that the club had agreed a fee with Spurs over his transfer, and the north London club released a statement on August 1to confirm that they had completed the deal subject to a medical.