Álvaro Montoro is an 18-year-old Argentine attacking midfielder who plays for Botafogo. He came from Vélez Sarsfield’s academy, making his senior debut at just 16 years and 307 days old, assisting a late winner against Huracán. On June 3, he made a move to Botafogo in a deal worth around €8 million. At the international level, Montoro has represented Argentina at the U-17 and U-20 levels.
Listed at 1.70 m (5’7”), Montoro’s build is short and slim. While much smaller compared to his opponents, Montoro shows very good balance for someone his size. When dribbling past opponents, they will attempt to unbalance him through small shoves and nudges, but he rarely loses balance or control of his dribble. He still has room to improve physically, especially in his upper body. Montoro is not someone who runs at players 1v1 or makes runs in behind consistently, so it is rare to see him sprinting full speed, but he has shown he is quick over short bursts.
In possession, Montoro predominantly operates off the left wing. Although it is most common to see him here, he often looks at his best when operating centrally as an attacking midfielder. His technical ability is excellent, particularly his first touch and ball control. Whether receiving in tight spaces or under pressure, his touch remains sharp and close to his body. He will scan before receiving and take his first touch into space to advance play. He is confident dribbling out of pressure. When playing in more central areas, he looks comfortable receiving between the lines. Montoro possesses good vision to pick out teammates in dangerous areas in the final third. He delivers sharp, well-weighted passes over short and medium distances, keeping them on the ground. He plays with his head up, constantly looking for spaces in behind to exploit with through balls. His play style is very associative, looking to combine with teammates around the penalty area. Although very young, Montoro’s decision-making in the final third is mature beyond his years. He rarely forces actions, always looking for the right decision. His crossing is decent, but there is room for improvement. His technique for inswinging crosses with his right is reliable. However, when using other techniques, some crosses can float in the air or carry too much height. His left-footed crosses are generally inconsistent and rarely struck cleanly. Similarly, his long-range passing shows the same inconsistency, with better accuracy when using the inside of his foot to curl the ball rather than opting for a driven laces technique. In 1v1 situations, he uses his quick feet and close control to beat defenders. He squares up to opponents, using small bursts of pace to accelerate past his defenders into space, and looks to combine or play a pass to a nearby teammate. Montoro’s biggest flaw is his shooting. His ball striking and shot placement are not consistent. The majority of his efforts go wide of the goal.
Off the ball, Montoro works very hard. He is active in recovering possession. He looks to close passing lanes, apply pressure on the back line, and put in tackles in the midfield and defensive thirds. He does a good job of anticipating passes and cutting them off due to good body shape when defending. When his team has the ball, he tends to stay wider, looking to combine with his nearby fullback and attackers.
It would be surprising if Montoro remained in Brazil for more than two seasons. Despite having only made a handful of appearances for Botafogo, he has already demonstrated that he possesses the quality to compete at a higher level. Montoro has the ability to play for a UCL or Europa League level club in one of Europe’s top five leagues or just outside the top five.
Target Scouting 