Tottenham strikes deal for Soldado from Valencia

LONDON (AP) — Tottenham is breaking its transfer record to sign striker Roberto Soldado from Valencia.

The Premier League club said Thursday that a deal has been reached with Valencia to sign the 28-year-old Soldado, subject to a medical examination.

Valencia said that Tottenham has met Soldado's buyout clause, which the Spanish club's president, Amadeo Salvo, said last week was 30 million euros ($40 million).

By paying that transfer fee, Tottenham will be breaking its transfer record for the second time this offseason, having already signed Paulinho from Corinthians for 20 million euros ($26 million).

Soldado will be arriving at White Hart Lane fresh from helping Spain finish runner-up at the Confederations Cup, where he took his international tally to six goals in 11 games.

Soldado, who scored 80 goals in 146 appearances for Valencia, will provide competition for Emmanuel Adebayor and Jermaine Defoe up front at White Hart Lane.

Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas could be denied the services of Gareth Bale in attack shortly, with Real Madrid in talks with Tottenham to sign English football's player of the year.

"It is very difficult to speak regarding Gareth Bale because he is not a Real Madrid player as of yet, as of this moment," Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said late Wednesday in Los Angeles. "We are waiting to see what happens."

Madrid is reported to be willing to pay 100 million euros ($132 million) to sign Bale.

"I am not involved in this negotiation," Ancelotti said. "I think that the club is speaking in this moment to find the solution."