Montero joined the club from Racing Santander in August 2025 and went on to play a significant part in the Andalusian side's historic promotion. The club's official statement paid tribute to his contribution both on and off the pitch.
"The centre-back from Seville arrived at Málaga Club de Fútbol in August 2025, from Real Racing Club de Santander, to reinforce the left side of the defensive line," the club said.
"His participation in defence on the pitch and his contribution in the dressing room have been very valuable for the team, in the achievement of the recent and historic promotion to the top flight in the 2025-26 season."
Montero's exit is one of the first confirmed outgoings as Málaga begin the process of reshaping their squad for life in the Primera División. Despite the sentiment in the statement, the club have decided a new defensive profile is needed for the demands of the top flight after two seasons away.
The statement's warm tone reflects how Montero's contribution was appreciated even if the decision to move on was inevitable as the club resets for Primera División football. Málaga now need to build a squad capable of competing in the top flight, where the demands on defensive personnel are considerably higher than those Montero was tasked with in their promotion-winning season.
The promotion itself was the first time Málaga had reached the top flight in several years, and the club's recruitment this summer will be critical to ensuring they can sustain the step up rather than return immediately to the second tier.