tottenham Alejo has finally parted ways with Veliz, and new details from Brazil suggest the transfer wasn't straightforward behind the scenes at all.
For months, the expectation was that the deal would make perfect sense for everyone involved.
Bahia, acting as of manchester city City, a satellite club in Brazil within the Futbol Group structure, wanted a young striker with resale value.
Tottenham had a player who never established himself in North London. However, the reality proved to be far more complex.
tottenham wanted to wait
according to globo esporteOne of the biggest obstacles was Tottenham themselves.
The report claimed that Spurs had no intention of selling Veliz during the January window. Instead, their preference was to wait for the European summer market, when demand is usually higher and clubs believe they can extract better value.
This is especially interesting, considering how the situation ultimately unfolded. Tottenham accepted €9m (£7.6m)Despite earlier reports in this saga citing figures of between €10m and €20m depending on the structure of the deal.
Bahia feared that waiting would make the operation more expensive. There were also concerns that more European clubs might join the race and further complicate matters. As a result, City Football Group proceeded with negotiations rather than delaying them.
Citigroup gives priority to Veliz
The report also gives a glimpse of how highly the striker is rated by Bahia and CFG.
Football director Cadú Santoro personally presented the project to Veliz. Meanwhile, a member of the scouting department traveled to Argentina to meet the players and their representatives face-to-face.
Bahia see the 22-year-old as more than a short-term signing. Internally, the club saw him as a strategic fit for the wider City Football Group model and a player who could form part of a medium and long-term project.
Rosario Central resistance changed almost everything
Tottenham were not the only obstacle. Bahia also tried to negotiate an early release from Rosario Central and discussed compensation. The Argentine side refused to budge, determined to keep the striker for their Libertadores campaign.
Veliz himself could make life more difficult. Instead, he took the opposite approach.
The striker wanted the move and he liked the project presented by Bahia - she is happy now. However, he also made it clear that he would not force his way out of the club where he came through the academy and made his name.
That decision ultimately shaped the outcome. Rosario kept him until the end of the loanTottenham got their permanent sale, and Bahia secured the player they had identified as a priority target months earlier.
If we look at this saga, the most surprising detail may be that the transfer took place at all. Tottenham wanted to wait, Rosario wanted to keep him, and Veliz refused to create conflict.
Yet CFG kept trying and eventually got their man.
