Tottenham Hotspur had hoped their surprise January transfer exit would fast-track one new player’s route to success. Manchester United hoped for the same.
But as Sevilla hammered a relegation-bound Granada 3-0 over the weekend, another matchday came and went without either Alejo Veliz or Hannibal Mejbri included in Quique Sanches Florez’ starting XI.
Hannibal has made a less-than favourable impression in Spain, criticised not only by the experts but by his own head coach with a £14 million option-to-buy clause in his contract destined to go un-triggered.
Veliz, meanwhile, made only his fourth Sevilla appearance – and his first since early March – the Tottenham Hotspur-owned striker handed a few mercy minutes off the bench with the game already won.
Difficult loan spell for Tottenham’s Alejo Veliz
A £13 million signing from Rosario Central last summer, this has been a pretty miserable debut season in European football for Veliz. He’s played only 71 minutes of league football for Spurs and Sevilla combined, with his only goal a late consolation in a 4-2 hammering at Brighton.
Sanchez Flores, meanwhile, has indicated that Veliz’s performances on the training pitch are also leaving a lot to be desired, with former Spurs forward Erik Lamela one of many keeping him down the pecking order.
“We’re very (focused) about giving continuity to what we see in training,” the former Watford boss tells AS. “We don’t (decide) from one day to the next. We look during the week, we see what fills our eyes and makes us think.
“Alejo is in a very uncomfortable situation because he came to have minutes but he has lost prominence. People like (Dodi) Lukebakio, Lamela or (Lucien) Agoume are the ones on the starting blocks for the titles.
“Alejo is not in the first line of the next ownership, although we have him. We try to see his virtues and hide his shortcomings. But for our way of playing, other footballers give us a more positive situation.”
Only four La Liga appearances for Sevilla
Veliz, who was labelled a ‘phenomenon’ by one of Argentina’s World Cup winning greats, is still only 20 and you would be a fool to write him off so soon.
The Albiceleste youth star spoke recently about his future at Tottenham, explaining that a temporary departure came about after Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou urged him to pursue more regular first-team action out on loan.
Those best laid plans, however, are going very much awry with only a few La Liga fixtures remaining.
“(Postecoglou) told me to take advantage of this opportunity in a huge club, and to do my best to try to gain minutes,” Veliz told Marca. “Then, time will tell.”
“I come with high expectations of being able to adapt, contribute and continue growing. Being younger, I think we are very hungry for glory, to go out and eat up the field and go for everything. That is my thinking.”