Crystal Palace have started looking at a possible double move for Botafogo pair Danilo and Álvaro Montoro ahead of January.
The Eagles’ interest in Danilo already had some weight behind it. Alessandro Brito confirmed only days ago that the midfielder remains under Palace observation.
Montoro now appears to have joined him in their thinking, with the London club said to be considering whether a deal for both players is possible.
Crystal Palace start conversations over Botafogo pair
Club insider outlet Gazeta Botafogo now says Crystal Palace have started movements to assess the signings of Danilo and Montoro for the January 2027 window.
According to their information, the work is being conducted within the scouting operation led by Brito. The report goes further by saying initial conversations have started over the two players.
For now, though, this isn’t presented as an official offer or any negotiation. Palace are assessing the possibility of taking the pair together and working out whether such an operation would be viable.
That makes Danilo’s situation very interesting after Brito spoke publicly about him. As we covered just this week, the Palace scouting chief confirmed Danilo is on a wider list of players being followed “game by game” for months now.
This new information could translate into a step forward if Palace have now started making enquiries ahead of January.
Álvaro Montoro now added to Palace plans
Montoro is the newer name from a Crystal Palace perspective. The 19-year-old Argentine joined Botafogo in 2025 and has since become an important young asset for the Brazilian club.
The club’s number 10 is a very talented attacking playmaker, regarded in South America as one of the biggest prospects to emerge from the continent in the 2020’s. He was already linked with Brighton, Newcastle and Wolves earlier this year.
But there could be a bigger obstacle when it comes to price. Montoro renewed his Botafogo contract in August and is now tied to the club until December 2030.
That gives the Brazilian side plenty of protection if Palace decide to turn their current work into an offer.
There’s also an interesting piece of history involving the two players together. Earlier this year, Nottingham Forest were involved in discussions over an operation which would have included both Danilo and Montoro.
It was reported at the time that €19m (£16.5m) was being discussed for Danilo, with another €14m (£12.2m) for Montoro. However, that proposed operation ultimately didn’t go ahead amid Botafogo’s legal issues.
It does, however, give some indication of how highly the pair have already been valued in discussions with a Premier League club.
January now the target
Gazeta Botafogo says January 2027 is the window Palace have in mind. Their information is that a potential joint operation is being considered, with the Eagles assessing whether it can be made financially viable.
There’s still some distance between that and signing either player. Of course the Danilo part is easier to connect with what we’ve already heard directly from Palace’s scouting operation.
Adding Montoro would make it a much bigger operation, and one involving two players Brito knows very well from his previous job.
But now a report close to Botafogo says the Eagles are starting to look at what it would take to actually do a deal. Let’s see where it leads in the next few weeks.
