Young Argentine striker, Alejo Veliz, has been sent out on loan again by Tottenham this summer, with the hope that a spell with Espanyol will wield more minutes than the mere 31 he was handed in six months at Sevilla. (TransferMarkt)
Tottenham paid £13 million last summer for Veliz
20-year-old forward, Alejo Veliz caught the eye of Tottenham scouts after recording eleven goals in twenty-three games for Liga Professional side, Rosario Central.
Spurs paid £13 million for the then-teenager (Evening Standard), with a sell-on clause for Veliz’s boyhood club also believed to be part of a six-year deal.
Despite the Evening Standard’s report suggesting Veliz could depart Spurs on loan straight away, Postecoglou decided to keep the forward until January.
Veliz then departed for Sevilla on a six-month loan which turned out to be a nightmare move with the Spanish side hardly giving the striker a chance.
Veliz has gone out on loan again this summer to newly promoted side, Espanyol, with the club’s lower profile making game time more likely for Veliz who, according to Football.London, told his agents to push for a loan to the Spanish club when hearing of their interest.
Espanyol president rules out a permanent switch
Things are already looking more promising than Sevilla for Veliz with Espanyol’s sporting director, Fran Garagarza, waxing lyrical about the forward.
He said: “I didn’t think we would have any chance (of signing Veliz), but it happened. We moved ahead of other clubs and Tottenham understood that we are going to give him significant coverage in terms of playing time (Mundo Deportivo).”
Veliz’s loan is a straight one with no buy option, with Garagarza explaining: “Signing forwards is very complicated. And, with the limitations we have, even more so.
“They are three players who come from three big clubs. [signing] each of them was hard. We must also thank those clubs because they have helped us a lot, even though the negotiations have been long. All three were objectives that we have been working hard on for several months.”
“All three have arrived on loan because we do not have the capacity to keep these players [permanently]. This season, they will be with us. And then we will see where we go in each case”.
Spurs Web opinion
It was widely an expectation that Veliz’s next loan move wouldn’t have a buy option included in it, regardless of whether or not the club can financially afford him due to the striker still having plenty of years left to develop and adapt to football in Europe’s top divisions.
What is most encouraging though is that Espanyol seem genuinely delighted to have signed Alejo Veliz, a phrase that couldn’t be applied to his previous loan club, Sevilla.
The 20-year-old has plenty of enthusiasm and desire up front, as displayed in his debut Spurs goal against Brighton, but needs more competitive minutes, which a loan to Espanyol can hopefully provide.