Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly exploring a permanent exit for striker Alejo Veliz - a player Lionel Messi once admitted reminded him of Luis Suarez. The Athletic report that a fee for Veliz has not yet been agreed upon, but talks are in progress.
The 22-year-old is currently on loan at Rosario Club - the Argentine outfit where he started his career before moving to Spurs in 2023 - until June 2026. Any deal with Bahia would result in an early termination of this loan spell.
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Veliz found the back of the net five times in 16 appearances for Rosario, which he joined in July. All eight of his appearances for parent club Spurs were made during the 2023-24 season.
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And Barcelona legend Messi previously had high hopes for the striker. He compared Veliz’s playing style to that of former Liverpool and Barcelona ace Suarez.
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"[Roman] Vega, [Maximo] Perrone, and especially Veliz,” Messi said of Argentina’s best young players in September 2023.
“Watching him play reminds me of what Suarez used to play like. I am very excited for the future of this country, and hope I can be an influence to these people, and talk to him.”
Veliz is now a team-mate of another South American star in Angel Di Maria at Rosario Central after the former Manchester United man agreed in May to return to his boyhood club once Benfica's participation in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup had ended. Di Maria sent a number of messages to Veliz prior to his move to entice him back to Central.
"Ever since it went viral that I was returning to Central, Angel and I exchanged messages," revealed Veliz at his presentation (via ESPN).
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"And when he said, 'Come on, you're missing now,' it's truly a driving force that pushes you forward, and I was crazy and wanted to come right away. What we wanted happened, and I'm very happy to be here."
He added: "Having this, my family nearby, my grandparents, is what fulfils me, what completes me. I don't feel like I am here anywhere else. I came back to be able to fulfil myself."