Name: Gonzalo Montiel
Club: River Plate
Date of Birth: 1 January 1997
Position: Right-back, right midfielder
GONZALO MONTIEL – HIS CAREER SO FAR
Even though he is only 23 years of age, Gonzalo Montiel is already starting to attract interest from teams from abroad. Of course, nowadays, 23 might already be old for a young talent on the rise but the Argentine is slowly but surely making his mark known in the world of football. For the entirety of his still short career, Montiel has been playing for River Plate and River Plate only.
His youth career started at the club and after successfully rising through the ranks and impressing the right people in the right places, the defender has managed to ensure his place in the historic club’s senior squad. His first-team journey began back in 2016 when he was 19 years of age and it’s safe to say that he hasn’t looked back since.
Fast forward a couple of years into the future and Montiel is not only an important member of the squad but has also registered 91 appearances for the club, scoring one goal and assisting seven in the process as well. Of course, it was never actually his job to rattle the inside of the opposition’s net but he does seem to have some predispositions for attacking play too.
It should also not be forgotten that he has also featured for his country as well, tallying two appearances for Argentina’s U20 squad before being named in the senior squad for friendly clashes against Venezuela and Morocco by coach Lionel Scaloni. Soon afterwards, on 22 March, Montiel finally got his senior bow against Venezuela and has since recorded three more appearances as well – one against Morocco, one against Chile and one against Mexico, all in friendly games.
Now, after spending years at River Plate, he is seemingly set to leave the club and the country for greener pastures in Europe. With only a solitary year left on his contract, Montiel is suddenly a very attractive option for some Premier League outfits.
TRANSFER LATEST
According to the latest transfer news, Montiel is a wanted man and West Ham United are one of the teams looking to take the young defender to London. However, the Hammers’ initial bid seems to have been rejected by River Plate and they will have to increase the offer if they are really to land the 23-year-old’s signature.
David Moyes seems adamant on improving his defence but the money is also tight. Still, big talents rarely come for cheap and if the transfer rumours are to be believed, Montiel, albeit with a single year on his contract, might not be any different as well.
PLAYER PROFILE
Montiel is a right-back by trade but he seems to be willing to venture higher up the pitch and can also be utilised as a wing-back or even a right midfielder if needed. This is mostly due to his tendency to oversee the whole flank and assist his team in the advanced areas of the pitch. Due to his good positioning and understanding of when and where to move, the 23-year-old is a great asset in the final third.
That is where he can combine with his teammates quite well because of an impressive passing range and an eye for a good and penetrative ball into the danger areas. But we shouldn’t disregard his defensive duties and abilities. He seems like an intelligent defender who knows when to engage his marker and when to lure them into a trap. Overall, Montiel is solid in performing the tasks that are asked of him and can undoubtedly improve to become a great player.
