Javi Montero's departure from Málaga CF occurred after failing to secure the automatic renewal stipulated in his contract. The club's sporting management personally informed him that the player is not included in their future plans. The club officially announced the defender's exit, as his contract concludes in the coming days, stating that "the defender closes his cycle at the blue-and-white entity and will not be part of the squad next season 26/27."
Montero arrived at Málaga CF last summer as a free agent from Racing de Santander, to cover the unexpected departure of Nelson Monte. After starting as a regular, the center-back experienced ups and downs along with the team. Despite this, he had streaks of starts until Einar Galilea established himself in the central defense towards the end of the season. However, after Galilea's injury in the promotion playoff, Montero took on the responsibility and played all four decisive matches at a high level.
The Seville-born center-back played a total of 30 matches in his single season with Málaga, including 25 in LALIGA HYPERMOTION (23 as a starter, scoring one goal), one in the Copa del Rey, and four in the promotion playoff to LALIGA EA SPORTS. The club has thanked him for his work and professionalism, acknowledging his contribution in defense and in the locker room for achieving promotion to the First Division in the 25/26 season.
Promotion to the First Division entails an increase in minimum salaries for professional footballers. In LALIGA EA Sports, the minimum gross salary is 195,000 euros, double that of LALIGA Hypermotion (97,500 euros). Most contracts, including those at Málaga CF, include these category-based variations. The club plans to improve the conditions of current players to retain talent, following a policy of logical salary growth.
