Well, it took 19 days since the last time we reported this but now’s official. Tottenham Hotspur’s 19-year-old Argentinian striker Alejo Veliz has completed his transfer to Brazilian Campeonato side Bahia. The transfer is reportedly close to £8m.
Bahia is owned by City Group, so there’s at least
a theoretical chance he could be eventually transferred up the City Chain and end up starting for Manchester City some day, lol. But in truth, Bahia is probably his level. He was a teenage star at his home club of Rosario Central in Argentina, from whom Spurs bought him a few years ago. But he never hit the level he was expected to hit, had a couple of bad loans after Spurs bought him, and then was loaned back to Rosario Central last season. Now he gets to restart his career while staying in South America.
As I wrote earlier this month:
I have nothing against the kid — far from it, I’d love to see him establish himself in a smaller South American league like Brazil and then potentially go from there. It’s clear, however, that he’s unlikely to crack Tottenham Hotspur’s first team and it’s best that he’s moved on. Bahia finished 7th in the Campeonato and finished third in the league in xG — seems like a pretty good place to land for now, and a nearly £8m transfer fee, which includes a 20% sell-on clause, isn’t awful and probably comes close to breaking even in accounting terms.
Veliz was less a lottery ticket and more a big swing on what was hopefully going to be a diamond in the rough. It didn’t work out that way, but I hope Veliz goes on to have a solid career.
