Tottenham Hotspur’s successful acquisition of Alejo Veliz this summer from Rosario Central has been highlighted in a recent report. Despite being the sole center-forward signing after the departure of Harry Kane to Bayern Munich, Veliz is not under immediate pressure to replace the England captain due to his young age.
However, the Argentine addition has been catching the attention of manager Ange Postecoglou during training sessions, leading to his appearances as a substitute in Tottenham’s two most recent Premier League matches.
The Athletic has released a feature detailing Veliz’s journey to becoming a Tottenham player, confirming that the club beat Nottingham Forest, Wolves, AC Milan, and Roma to secure his signature. Interestingly, the report also verifies that Fabio Paratici played a consulting role in the transfer, despite leaving his position as Tottenham’s managing director of football four months prior to Veliz’s arrival due to a FIFA ban.
Tottenham successfully completed a £13m deal for Veliz and hopes that it will prove to be a wise investment in the long term. The 20-year-old forward is under a long-term contract until 2029, potentially marking the start of a six-season tenure at the club.
Currently, Veliz faces competition for playing time from underperforming Richarlison, new captain Son Heung-min, and fellow summer signing Brennan Johnson. Despite the absence of European football and an early exit from the Carabao Cup, there is strong belief within the club that Veliz will excel.
While it remains uncertain whether Veliz would have experienced a different rate of progress at other interested clubs, time is on his side as he strives to become an integral part of Tottenham’s future. He is also eligible to play for the under-21 team, providing him with an alternative path for development if immediate opportunities in the senior side are limited.
It seems that Postecoglou is swiftly recognizing Veliz’s potential, potentially thanks to Paratici’s involvement in the transfer, despite their non-overlapping tenures at Tottenham.
Among the clubs that Veliz could have chosen instead, Forest signed Anthony Elanga and Divock Origi, Milan secured Luka Jovic and Noah Okafor, and Roma acquired Romelu Lukaku and Sardar Azmoun. Meanwhile, Wolves were only able to convert Matheus Cunha’s loan from Atletico Madrid into a permanent deal.
