Tottenham’s Alejo Véliz has suggested he pushed to leave the club this summer and secure a loan move to Espanyol.
The striker has been speaking at a press conference alongside fellow summer signings Alex Král and Irvin Cardona, with his comments relayed by Mundo Deportivo.
The youngster has joined the Spanish side on loan until the end of the season after something of a frustrated time at Tottenham so far.
He joined Spurs in a €15m deal from Rosario Central in August 2023 but has only made eight appearances for Tottenham so far and 45 minutes in total.
That saw him head out to Sevilla on loan in the January transfer window, but that loan deal also failed to see him takeover, with him managing just six appearances and 31 minutes in total.
He’s now headed to Espanyol in the hope of establishing himself as their first-choice striker and getting the minutes he’s been craving for the last year.
The deal does not include an option to make it permanent, but Véliz is determined to ensure he leaves a good impression nonetheless, after pushing his agents to make the move happen.
“Wearing the number ‘9’ doesn’t put pressure on me. It’s a very important number for everything it entails, but I feel ready and eager to get started now,” he said.
“Since my agents told me that this possibility existed, I told them to push hard because I wanted to come here.
“The first thing Manolo told me was that he saw me as a reference striker, hungry and willing to fight, which is what he wants in the team. From where I’ve been placed, I’ll try to give it the best of myself.”
