Julio Cesar Torres: The odd Tottenham transfer target now playing semi-professionally in Bolivia

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One year ago saw one of the more bizarre transfer stories of Tottenham Hotspur’s 2018-19 season. 

The rumour was coming from Bolivia, where midfielder Julio Cesar Torres had apparently agreed on a season-long loan deal with Tottenham with an option to buy. 

As reported by Red Uno, and relayed by Sports Witness, his agent confirmed the deal and Torres was all set to leave Blooming Club in Bolivia to join up with Tottenham’s under-23s in the near future. He even appeared to sign a Tottenham contract during a TV interview and told Red Uno of his ‘great surprise’ at the move. 

But there was immediate skepticism among fans. Was Tottenham’s first new signing in months really going to be this unknown player?

Holes appeared to arise immediately. Firstly, across numerous different reports in the UK media, Torres’ nationality was reported as either Bolivian or Paraguayan. Nobody seemed to agree. 

Secondly, he had never played a single game for Blooming. The 21-year-old was something of a phantom, with little to no record of his footballing career. 

Wikipedia had nothing, neither did transfermarkt, or the club’s website. 

Soon enough, Football.London reported that there was absolutely no truth in the rumours. The 21-year-old was not on his way to Tottenham. 

But it did highlight just how bereft of transfer news Tottenham fans had become at this stage that the idea of a completely unknown Bolivian joining the club drummed up the attention it did. 

Where is he now? Well, in February it was reported by El Periodico that Torres had joined Atletico Ciclon. In fact, the report stated he had joined from Tottenham, despite Spurs never announcing any such deal. Ciclon are a semi-professional team in Bolivia who are hoping to regain entry into the national second division for next season by winning the Tarijeno football tournament this year.

A report in January by El Periodico named the club’s ‘elite sporting manager’ as Gonzalo Acier, the man namechecked as Torres’ agent in those Tottenham reports from one year ago, which certainly adds to the intrigue.

It appears that is where Torres is now, playing semi-professional football in Bolivia. One year on from being the man who was set to break Tottenham’s long transfer duck, that is quite the turn of events.