Tottenham: Alejo Veliz must be recalled from La Liga loan with Sevilla after what happened Monday
Tottenham forward Alejo Veliz has had very little joy since joining Sevilla on loan for the remainder of the 2023/24 campaign.
Spurs invested big money in Veliz, signing the then 19-year-old from Rosario Central in Argentina for a fee of £13million (via BBC Sport, 8 August).
Although he struggled for game time during his first few months in North London, Veliz began to find his feet, scoring his first goal for the club in a 4-2 defeat against Brighton (28 December) before an injury setback derailed the striker’s momentum.
He was sent on loan to La Liga, linking up with Sevilla (Tottenham Hotspur Official Website, 1 February), but has struggled to make an impact in Spain.
Sevilla’s 2-2 draw away at Almeria on Monday (11 March) was a reminder that Veliz is being wasted while on loan, with the youngster an unused substitute at the Power Horse Stadium.
Tottenham must recall Alejo Veliz from his loan in Spain with Sevilla
Considering the amount of money that was paid to sign Veliz, Spurs will want to ensure that they handle the 20-year-old’s development properly.
Playing irregular minutes here and there away from England is not the right way for Veliz to develop, and Spurs must consider bringing him back to North London, and perhaps looking for a more suitable loan elsewhere in England.
Having arrived last summer from Argentina, Veliz has limited experience so far in English football, featuring just eight times for Tottenham to date, and it would be more beneficial in the long run for the Argentinian to build up some more experience, even if it means playing for Spurs’ Under-21s instead.
Veliz has made just three appearances since joining Sevilla, and none of those have proved very useful.
On his debut for the club, he came off the bench in the 86th minute of a 0-0 draw away at Valencia (17 February) and managed just two touches of the ball, registering one shot on target and losing one ground duel while also being dribbled past once (Sofascore).
He was handed more minutes against Real Madrid as he came on in the 75th minute of the 1-0 defeat at the Santiago Bernabéu (25 February), this time managing five touches, completing just 67 per cent of his passes and winning just one of his three ground duels.
His most recent appearance came in Sevilla’s 3-2 win against Real Sociedad (2 March) where just like against Valencia, he was introduced in the 86th minute, managing five touches and once again completing just 67 per cent of his passes.
On all three occasions, Veliz has replaced Isaac Romero who has been in fine form, scoring three goals and providing four assists in his nine La Liga appearances, and if Veliz sticks around in Seville, it looks as if he might be stuck behind Romero and limited to substitute appearances for the rest of the season.
Ange Postecoglou will be keen for the striker to develop in the right way, something which is currently not happening in Spain, and a decision must be made at Hotspur Way.
In other Tottenham news, John Wenham of Lilywhite Rose has shared a “big factor” amid a Timo Werner transfer verdict at the club.
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