Rosario Central coach Miguel Russo admits he is ‘worried’ about Alejo Veliz as Tottenham Hotspur close in on a shock deal to bring the teenage striker to the Premier League.
If Tottenham’s pursuit of Wolfsburg defender Micky Van de Ven has descended into something of a saga – Fabrizio Romano reporting that an agreement is now close after two months of relentless speculation – then the opposite is true of 19-year-old Alejo Veliz.
The Argentina youth star was only mentioned in conjunction with a move to Tottenham on Wednesday. But a deal could be closed in very ‘un-Daniel Levy-like’ fashion; Romano claiming that personal terms have been agreed already.
Argentine publication TYC Sports, meanwhile, believe that Tottenham are willing to trigger the £13 million release clause in Veliz’s contract.
Tottenham close in on shock Alejo Veliz deal
Questions, of course, will inevitably be asked about whether a player who will only celebrate his 20th birthday in September is really ready to make the step up, even if Tottenham are likely to ease Veliz in gently.
Rosario Central’s head coach is keen to keep his cards close to his chest. But Russo does seem to have his concerns about whether a move to Europe – and to the unforgiving environment of the Premer League – is really the right thing for Veliz’s development.
“I’m just worried about him,” Russo tells TYC. “(I hope) that he’s calm, that he’s fine and that whatever has to happen has to happen.
“He’s a boy He’s 19 years old, and I talk to him constantly.”
Veliz has scored an impressive 11 goals in 23 games for Rosario Central this season. Two of those came in a clinical brace against Argentine giants River Plate last month.
Nottingham Forest have reportedly been in contact with his camp, as well as AC Milan.
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