Tottenham Hotspur are preparing to offload misfiring striker Roberto Soldado this summer and have earmarked Sevilla’s Carlos Bacca as his replacement.
Soldado was signed from Valencia for a fee of £26 million in August 2013, but the Spanish forward has struggled to find his goalscoring form from previous seasons in La Liga.
During his final season with Los Che, Soldado scored 30 goals in all competitions and was considered one of Spanish football’s top finishers.
But in his two years with Spurs, Soldado has only tallied 15 goals, and this season, the 29-year-old has been replaced as the club’s first-choice striker by Harry Kane.
Tottenham entertained the possibility of sending Soldado back to Spain last summer, with Atletico Madrid and Valencia making contact with Spurs management. But manager Mauricio Pochettino elected to give the misfiring forward another season to prove his worth at the North London club.
It now appears Spurs are prepared to cut their losses and bring some new blood to White Hart Lane.
Last season, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy sent scouts to monitor Sevilla striker Carlos Bacca, and it has been reported the Premier League club recently renewed its interest in the Colombia international.
Tottenham have again sent representatives to watch the combative 28-year-old forward this season; with the club’s head of recruitment, Paul Mitchell, in the stands for Sevilla’s recent Europa League match against Borussia Monchengladbach.
Bacca signed an extension with the Spanish club several months ago, which would see him remain with Sevilla until June 2018. But the striker has a £22 million buyout clause in his contract, which Tottenham appear willing to meet.
Pochettino recently claimed he had no interest in signing the Colombian striker, but the fact remains that the club representatives have been keeping track of the player for several months.
Should Spurs decide against a move for Bacca, Tottenham have also been monitoring Villarreal striker Luciano Vietto and Porto’s Jackson Martinez.
