Gonzalo Montiel: Nottingham Forest loan World Cup winner from Sevilla
Last updated on .From the section Nottm Forest
Nottingham Forest have signed World Cup-winning defender Gonzalo Montiel on a season-long loan from Sevilla with an option to make the move permanent.
Montiel scored the decisive penalty kick in the shootout as Argentina beat France in the final in Qatar last year.
The 26-year-old is Forest boss Steve Cooper's fifth signing of the summer and has taken the number 29 shirt.
"I'm coming here full of expectations, of getting to play and showing what I can do," Montiel told Forest's website.
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"I'm also hungry to win things, to win trophies - now's the time to show this.
"I've been watching the Premier League since I was a child. As a player you want to play in the best league, and the Premier League is just that."
Montiel rose through the youth ranks at River Plate and made his first-team debut for the Buenos Aires club in April 2016.
He went on to make 139 appearances for River and was part of the team which won the 2018 Copa Libertadores against city rivals Boca Juniors in Madrid.
Montiel, who has been capped 23 times by Argentina, joined Sevilla in August 2021 and scored the winning penalty in the club's Europa League final victory over Roma last season.
Forest's chief football officer Ross Wilson added: "We are pleased to welcome Gonzalo and his family to Nottingham.
"He has already experienced some major achievements in his career and he is looking forward with anticipation to the next chapter with Nottingham Forest."
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Best of luck Gonzalo!
Montiel won't appreciate Forest getting promoted against the odds, then staying up when most pundits had them to go straight back down. But when he first experiences the electricity at the City Ground, he'll know he's joined a club going in the right direction.
Forest are working hard strategically. They've invested heavily since promotion and now simply need to consolidate in order to 'fix' themselves in the PL. They know this, are capable of this and this signing is perfect towards that end. A very astute signing.
With Manchester United misfiring this signing will make the game interesting.