Tottenham swoop for Argentina Under-20 captain Alejo Veliz

By SABC Sport
9th August 2023

Argentina Under-20 international Alejo Veliz has completed a permanent transfer to Tottenham.

Spurs have announced the signing of the forward from Rosario Central in a deal that could be worth up to £13million.

Veliz, 19, has signed a six-year contract at Tottenham but is viewed by the club as a player for the future.

The tall striker made his debut for Rosario in 2021, after joining two years earlier following a successful trial.

While Veliz made headlines with a derby winner against Newell's Old Boys last season, it has been in 2023 where the teenager has risen to prominence.

Veliz scored 11 goals in 23 Primera Division appearances but also caught the eye with three efforts for Argentina in the Under-20 World Cup earlier this summer.

It has convinced Tottenham to bring the forward to the club with an initial 13million euros (£11.2m) paid to Rosario, but the deal could rise to 15million euros (£13m).

This transfer is similar to the purchase of Pape Sarr from Metz in 2021, with the midfielder viewed at the time as a player for the future.

Sarr has since developed a growing reputation at Spurs following his debut last season and a string of impressive displays this summer.

While Sarr spent his first official campaign as a Tottenham player back on loan at Metz, Veliz is expected to remain part of Ange Postecoglou's first-team for the coming months.

Fellow teenager Ash Phillips, who completed his signing from Blackburn on Saturday, will also not leave on loan during the first half of the new campaign.

Phillips and Veliz are part of a growing group of promising teenagers at Spurs, with Alfie Devine and Dane Scarlett highly-regarded by the club.

Scarlett and Devine, who both represented England at the U20 World Cup this summer, will be allowed to leave on loan this season.

Devine could be set for a temporary move to the Sky Bet Championship while Scarlett, after spending last season with Portsmouth in League One, may again head to the third tier of English football.

Spurs will also listen to offers for fellow academy graduates Harvey White and Troy Parrott.

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Brandon Austin, another player to progress through Tottenham's youth set-up, could find himself on the bench for Sunday's Premier League opener at Brentford.

With captain Hugo Lloris transfer-listed and Fraser Forster still sidelined with a back injury, Austin is in line to be back-up to summer signing Guglielmo Vicario in west London.