old striker after £6m transfer rejection

Tottenham Hotspur striker Alejo Veliz has rejoined former club Rosario Central on a season-long loan deal, the Lilywhites have confirmed.

The Argentine youngster arrived in North London from Rosario for just under £13m in 2023, but he is yet to have a breakthrough campaign in England, making just eight appearances for Tottenham in all competitions.

Veliz has only found the back of the net once in that time, registering in a 4-2 away defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in December 2023, shortly before being loaned out to Sevilla in La Liga.

The 21-year-old played just 31 minutes across six matches for Los Palanganas in the second half of the 2023-24 campaign, and his time with Espanyol last term was underwhelming too.

Veliz managed a mere four goals in 29 appearances for the Catalan side in all competitions, three of which came in the first round of the Copa del Rey in a 4-0 thrashing of minnows San Tirso.

In La Liga alone, the 2003-born striker scored a paltry one goal in 27 appearances, and he will seemingly not be given a chance to prove himself to Thomas Frank in pre-season.

Tottenham, Rosario reach agreement for Veliz loan

Instead, Veliz has been sent back to his homeland to further his development, and TyC Sports claims that there is no permanent option or obligation included in the deal.

The report adds that Spurs were looking for a permanent exit for the striker, whose contract with the Europa League winners runs for another four years, but they had to settle for a loan deal in the end.

Rosario are believed to have beaten Argentinian rivals Racing and Boca Juniors to the signature of Veliz; the former club apparently submitted a €7m (£6m) offer to Tottenham, which was rejected.

However, Veliz's preference was always to play for Rosario thanks to presence of Argentina legend Angel Di Maria, who has just returned to his boyhood club on a one-year deal after leaving Benfica.

Veliz came through the youth system at Rosario Central and scored 19 goals in 63 games during his first spell at the club, who banked a club-record fee by selling him to Spurs two years ago.

Which other players could Tottenham sell this summer?

Barring Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's Marseille move becoming permanent and a few players departing on free transfers, it has been quiet on the outgoings front for Tottenham during the summer window.

However, a few more sales are anticipated between now and the September 1 deadline, and Son Heung-min - who is now in the last 12 months of his deal - is a candidate for the chop.

The 33-year-old has supposedly rejected the chance to join one MLS club, but he retains interest from Saudi Arabia, and Spurs are not expected to stand in his way of an exit if the conditions are right.