Tottenham look set to add to their attacking options with the arrival of Alejo Veliz from Rosario Central. Coming to the attention of a number of clubs this summer including AC Milan and Roma, the talented 19-year-old will depart his home country of Argentina to sign on the dotted line at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a deal worth £13million.
Despite his tender years, Veliz has really made his mark for Rosario during the 2023 season after notching 11 goals in 23 appearances. As well as that, the frontman was on the scoresheet three times for Argentina in the recent Under-20s World Cup before they exited the competition in the Round of 16 at the hands of Nigeria.
Tipped for an incredibly bright future in the game, Veliz could turn out to be a very smart piece of business from the football club if he can transfer his impressive form in front of goal to the Premier League over the coming years. So what type of player are Tottenham signing in Veliz? football.london spoke to Argentinian and South American football writer Tom Robinson to get the lowdown on the potential new Spurs signing.
What kind of player will Tottenham be getting in Veliz?
Veliz is more in the mould of a traditional English No.9 than diminutive Argentinian strikers like [Sergio] Aguero, Julian Alvarez or [Carlos] Tevez. He's a player with a lot of potential and in the last 12 months (especially so last six months) he has been one of the most in-form strikers in Argentina, especially impressive given his young age. Definitely more of a long-term project than someone who will come straight into the starting XI but someone who could contribute.
What are his main strengths and weaknesses?
His main strength is his heading and aerial ability. He's taller than most in Argentina, which gives him an advantage, but his heading ability is really noteworthy. Honestly haven't seen a young striker with as good heading in some time. He also links play well, has decent movement and shooting too.
I'm sure the physicality and intensity of the Premier League will take a bit of time to get used to and I'm interested to see how his back to goal game holds up. He's not slow but hasn't got electric pace either.
READ MORE: Tottenham's next transfer priorities once Micky van de Ven and Alejo Veliz deals finalised
Does he remind you of any Argentinian strikers from the past?
In terms of Argentinian strikers, his heading brings to mind Martin Palermo. Hard to compare to a particular striker but he's more in the Gonzalo Higuain style, but not as beefy. Perhaps Lucas Alario is the closest in terms of recent players. Outside of Argentina, I've seen him compared to Raul Jimenez, which I like, and I would also throw Dominic Calvert-Lewin into the mix.
How highly is he regarded in Argentina?
His stock in Argentina has increased a lot this year, for his performances in the league and also for the Argentina Under-20s, where he was one of the better performers in a disappointing Under-20s World Cup campaign. The move to Spurs will no doubt boost his profile even more.
I think Argentinian fans will be particularly interested to see how he gets on in relation to the national team, as he's a different type of striker to what they currently have. Don't get me wrong, he's a way off being selected; but playing in a top league and his specific skillset will no doubt be of interest to [Lionel] Scaloni.
Is a £13m transfer fee a good deal for Tottenham?
I think the deal is about right, perhaps a few million more than I expected, but we'll put that down to the Premier League tax. Rosario Central have done well, what with the potential add-ons and percentage of future fee, but it's certainly a move that could look like a masterstroke if he continues his development at his current trajectory.
Do you believe he has what it takes to be a big success in the Premier League?
I think he has the potential to be a good striker for a top half Premier League club. He's relatively inexperienced so it's hard to say exactly what his ceiling is and I see him more of a long-term project rather than someone who will explode onto the scene immediately.
Success is very much relative to each person's expectations but I think if he is eased in this season to get some decent game time, makes an impact off the bench and get five goals or so, that would represent success in what will be an adaptation year. Then he'll be able to push on next season and try to become more of a regular. I think Ange is a good manager to develop him too.