La Liga champions Barcelona are in the pole position to sign 16-year-old Argentine wonderkid Alvaro Montoro from Velez Sarsfield.
According to a report by Gazzetta dello Sport, as relayed by SPORT, Alvaro Montoro is the subject of interest from Barcelona. The 16-year-old wonderkid is also a target for several other well-known clubs in Europe, including AS Roma. But the Catalan giants are best positioned to land the teenage sensation from Velez Sarsfield.
Alvaro Montoro is the latest whizkid to emanate from Argentina’s non-stop conveyor belt of prodigies. The 16-year-old has risen through the ranks at Velez Sarsfield, a club that has produced many promising prospects in the last few years. These include Thiago Almada, Maximo Perrone, and Gianluca Prestianni.
The Argentine wonderkid is a native of Concepcion and began his youth career at his hometown club. He then had a spell with Club Social y Deportivo Liniers before joining Velez Sarsfield in 2017. Since then, Montoro has come leaps and bounds at his club and is on the cusp of making his first-team debut.
The teenage sensation currently represents Argentina’s under-17 side on the international stage. Meanwhile, Montoro’s progress has not gone unnoticed, capturing the attention of many high-profile clubs in Europe. AS Roma, Sevilla, and Villarreal are keen on signing him, but they are all behind Barcelona.
Barcelona’s interest in Montoro is hardly surprising. The Catalan giants constantly scour the market for the brightest young prospects, both in Europe and beyond. They have also shown interest in another Velez Sarsfield prodigy, Gianluca Prestianni. But his younger compatriot is also a top target for the Blaugrana.
An attacking midfielder by trade, the 16-year-old wonderkid has drawn comparisons with Andres Iniesta due to his control over the ball. And the report by Gazzetta (h/t SPORT) has suggested that Barcelona will be the best-placed club to bring him to Europe as he wants to join the Blaugrana.
The Argentine sensation can be the long-term replacement for Ilkay Gundogan, with the German international on the wrong side of 30. But recent reports have claimed that Barcelona will not pursue a January move for him. However, the youngster cannot move to Europe before he turns 18 anyway, meaning the reigning La Liga champions have time on their hands to beat the competition.
