Who is Alejo Veliz? We don’t expect all our readers to be avid followers of football over in Argentina, so we put together this handy guide to keep you in the loop on the latest young striker to join Tottenham Hotspur.
Tottenham may have a formidable array of attackers at their disposal already, but it seems they have one eye on the future as they put the finishing touches to their latest transfer, 19-year-old Argentinian striker Alejo Veliz.
Here’s everything you need to know about Alejo Veliz.
Name: Alejo Veliz
Age: 19-years-old
Place of birth: Bernardo de Irigoyen, Argentina
Current club: Rosario Central
Former clubs: N/A
International appearances: 9 caps for Argentina U20s, 3 goals (Transfermarkt)
Club appearances: 62 senior appearances, 19 goals (Transfermarkt)
Alejo Veliz career stats
The 2022/23 campaign saw Alejo Veliz in prolific form, with a record of a goal in almost every other game in the Argentine league. The young forward bagged 11 goals in 23 matches for Rosario Central (Transfermarkt).
As far as the Primera Division goes, Alejo Veliz was right up there as one of the top attackers last season. The starlet was just two goals away from being the league’s top scorer. He also recorded the fourth most shots on target, with 27 across the campaign (FBref).
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He also had a strong showing at the U20 World Cup on a personal level. Despite Argentina failing to make it past the second round, Veliz scored a goal in each of his nation’s three group games (Transfermarkt).
Alejo Veliz strengths and weaknesses
At 6ft2in, Veliz is a towering presence at the top of the pitch, and he puts his strength and aerial ability to good use regularly. It is very likely you will see Veliz converting headers in the box, and there is no doubt that he has impeccable finishing, too.
If he has the likes of Heung-min Son, James Maddison, and Dejan Kulusevski around him, there is every chance that Veliz will produce impressive attacking returns.
However, it has to be noted that the Argentinian league is a far cry from the English Premier League, and the difference in the standard of football may make it difficult for Veliz to adapt initially, if at all.
The 19-year-old has plenty of time to learn and develop his game, and that will undoubtedly happen under the watchful eye of the coaches at Tottenham.
At the moment, Veliz is pretty much a raw goalscorer with plenty of physical attributes, but his wider game leaves a little to be desired. He will need to hone these skills to become a more accomplished and effective player.
What are people saying about Alejo Veliz?
According to journalist Dan Kilpatrick, Alejo Veliz is a “promising youngster” but is someone who will need to be given time to develop. Kilpatrick suggested Veliz should not be considered an “immediate first-teamer” for Spurs.
Recently, football pundit and South American football expert Tim Vickery revealed his apprehension about Veliz. Vickery told Sky Sports that while Veliz is a talented goalscorer, he fears he may “struggle” to make an impact in the Premier League.
Twitter user and Spurs fan Jaco certainly seems excited about the prospect of Veliz signing for the club, however. Jaco described Veliz as “the most prolific teenager in South America,” and a player whose move to Spurs is seen as a “huge deal.”
What do The Spurs Web think?
While it is unclear whether Alejo Veliz will have what it takes to adapt to the Premier League, we have certainly got a very promising young striker on our hands here.
He’s a formidable finisher and a very strong player given his age. If he is nurtured correctly, there is every chance we could have a superstar in the making joining Spurs.
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