Tottenham Hotspur youngster Alejo Veliz has admitted his arrival at the club was somewhat difficult for him as he arrived with an unknown injury.
The striker has been speaking to Ole about his time in Europe so far, which is yet to really get going for him.
The 21-year-old joined Tottenham in a €15m deal from Rosario Central in August 2023 as the club continued to target young players for the future.
He was sent out on loan to Sevilla in February 2024, but that loan deal proved to be a disaster as he barely featured in the run to the end of the season.
This year he finds himself on loan at Espanyol but has not kicked on as Tottenham may have hoped, with just one goal in 22 league games to date. He’s also only featured in 38% of the available minutes.
It’s been a continuation of a frustrating period for Veliz, who admits his arrival at Tottenham was somewhat ruined by an unknown injury.
“The truth is, it was tough, crazy,” he said about going straight from Rosario to Tottenham in London.
“Obviously, I was fulfilling a dream; I dreamed of Europe and the Premier League. They’re different cultures, especially the climate and language. Also, something that wasn’t widely known was that I arrived and developed a back problem I’d never felt before.
“I went a month and a half without training. No one knew because I didn’t make any progress at the time.
“It was tough because two days before, I had played 90 minutes with Central and suddenly they told me I had that problem. But luckily, I overcame it and always looked on the bright side.”
This season hasn’t quite gone as he would have liked at Espanyol either, as he’s failed to establish himself or really get going.
Veliz admits that he’s struggled to adapt, and believes the lack of an Argentine present, which he had at Tottenham and Sevilla, may be a part of it.
“As a player, I always try to play, establish myself in a team, and be able to show my worth,” he added.
“Luckily, it was much easier for me in Sevilla because there were Acuña, Lamela, Ocampos, and others.
“But now, there aren’t any Argentinians at Espanyol, so it was a bit harder. But always with the same motivation, I always think positively and try to get the best out of everything.”
