£26m star was meant to take Spurs to the next level, instead he became the “flop of the season”
Tottenham Hotspur may not have the trophy cabinet to match their ambitions, but over the years, they’ve been graced with some truly extraordinary talent. From club legends like Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, who have left a lasting legacy, especially during the Mauricio Pochettino era, to less heralded yet equally iconic figures like Jermain Defoe, Spurs have been home to several stars that helped shape English football. However, not every transfer has been a success, and some have turned into infamous disappointments.
When Gareth Bale left Spurs in the summer of 2013 for a world-record transfer fee to Real Madrid, it marked a turning point for the club. The North London side used the windfall to sign seven players—later dubbed the “magnificent seven”—who were supposed to help propel Tottenham to new heights. However, while there was much anticipation, most of these players failed to live up to their potential, with just one or two standing out. This period has become synonymous with both hope and frustration for Spurs fans.
The ‘Magnificent Seven’: A Mixed Bag
Of the seven players signed with the Bale money, only one could be considered a true success—Christian Eriksen. The Danish playmaker arrived from Ajax for £11.5m and would go on to make 305 appearances for the club, scoring 69 goals and assisting 88 more. His creativity and vision were key in Tottenham’s rise under Pochettino, and his contributions were vital in the club’s run to the 2019 Champions League final. Eriksen was the heartbeat of that team, becoming a fan favorite and establishing himself as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League during his time in North London.
Another player who arguably found some success was Erik Lamela. Although his time at Spurs was marred by injuries, Lamela, who joined from AS Roma for £25.7m, managed to carve out a place in Spurs’ history. He made 257 appearances, scoring 37 goals and providing 44 assists, including his famous rabona goal in the North London Derby—a strike that earned him the Puskas Award for its sheer brilliance. Lamela’s work rate, passion, and flashes of brilliance made him a cult hero among the Spurs faithful, though his career never fully lived up to the lofty expectations set upon him when he arrived.
Beyond Eriksen and Lamela, however, the rest of the Bale money signings were disappointments of varying degrees. Players like Nacer Chadli, Etienne Capoue, Vlad Chiriches, and Paulinho failed to make a lasting impact and eventually moved on, leaving Spurs fans to wonder what could have been. Yet among these underwhelming signings, one player stands out as the biggest letdown: Roberto Soldado.
When Tottenham signed Roberto Soldado from Valencia for a hefty £26m in August 2013, expectations were sky-high. Soldado had just come off a remarkable season in Spain, scoring 30 goals and providing five assists in 46 games. He was seen as the man who would elevate Spurs’ attack, and Jermain Defoe himself predicted that Soldado could take the team to the “next level.”
Defoe spoke highly of his new teammate at the time, saying, “I can see why Spurs fans would be excited about Soldado coming because I am excited myself about the prospect of playing with him. He is a fantastic striker – sharp around the box and hungry to score goals.” With those words, anticipation grew, and Spurs fans were eager to see their new star in action.
But despite his past success, Soldado never lived up to the hype. His first season wasn’t a complete disaster—he managed 11 goals and five assists in 36 appearances—but his Premier League return of just six goals and five assists in 28 games was far below what was expected for a striker who was supposed to challenge for the Golden Boot.
Things only got worse in his second season. Soldado’s goal-scoring touch completely deserted him, and he managed just five goals and six assists in 40 appearances across all competitions. For a player who had arrived in such good form from Spain, his inability to adapt to the Premier League was baffling. His struggles in front of goal were a source of frustration for both the player and the fans, and by the summer of 2015, Tottenham cut their losses and sold Soldado to Villarreal for just £7m.
Soldado would go on to play for several clubs, including Villarreal, Fenerbahçe, Granada, and Levante, but he never rediscovered the form that made him such a coveted striker at Valencia. He eventually retired in the summer of 2023, leaving behind a career marked by flashes of brilliance but also marred by inconsistency.
In hindsight, it’s clear that Soldado was a talented player—his record in La Liga speaks for itself. However, his time in North London was nothing short of a disappointment, and he will forever be remembered as one of Tottenham’s biggest flops. The burden of expectation, the hefty price tag, and the comparisons to the prolific Gareth Bale were simply too much for Soldado to overcome.
The story of Tottenham’s “magnificent seven” is a cautionary tale of how even the best-laid transfer plans can go awry. While the money from Bale’s sale was meant to build a stronger, more balanced team, only a few of those signings paid off, and the rest became footnotes in Spurs’ history. The contrast between the undeniable success of players like Eriksen and the failure of others like Soldado highlights the unpredictable nature of football transfers.