On the latest episode of Spurs-focused podcast The Extra Inch, Chris Miller, Nathan Clark, and @BardiTFC have been discussing the latest goings-on at the North London club, with a focus on some of the players who have been linked with the Lilywhites in recent weeks.
The recent episode, which is titled: ‘Sold Elvis, Bought the Beatles‘; sees the trio discuss some players linked with the club. But first, they looked back on some ‘failed’ signings from the past, with Roberto Soldado being one of the players mentioned.
The Spanish striker became Spurs’ record signing when he signed from Valencia in 2013 (per BBC), but he struggled to have much impact during his time in north London; contributing just 16 goals and 11 assists in 76 appearances (per Transfermarkt).
Here’s what Clark had to say about the former Spurs man:
“I think we were extremely unlucky with Soldado. He was a really special finisher who forgot how to finish overnight because [of] issues in his personal life, the difficulty with moving, a rough start and certainly, the centre-forward position is so reliant on confidence and you take an extremely confident person, he turned into an extremely unconfident person. As a striker, it turns you from one of the best in the world to the laughing stock of the nation, and I think that Soldado then undermined the other purchases we made that summer.”
TIF Thoughts…
Soldado’s time with Spurs doesn’t look to have been a particularly happy one for the Spanish striker, as he was sold to Villarreal just two years after becoming the club’s record signing (per Transfermarkt).
Is Soldado one of Spurs' worst ever signings?
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However, Soldado’s failure to hit the mark may have arguably been a blessing in disguise for the Lilywhites, as it perhaps allowed Harry Kane to establish himself as a first-team regular, with the 26-year-old hitting 21 goals in the 2014/15 Premier League season (per Transfermarkt).