The right-back, who has joined Forest on loan from Sevilla, is part of an ongoing investigation in Argentina relating to an alleged sexual assault that took place at his house in Buenos Aires in January 2019. Montiel denies any involvement in an alleged rape.

Montiel, who scored the decisive penalty kick in the shootout for Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final against France and who netted the winning spot-kick for Sevilla against Roma in the 2023 Europa League final, was playing for River Plate at the time the alleged crime took place.

According to a report in Argentine newspaper Clarin, the alleged victim reported the incident to police on March 31, 2023. The alleged victim said that she had attended a party at Montiel’s house on January 1, 2019, had been given a substance that made her lose consciousness and that she had been raped by three males. She was unable to identify the two others and could only identify Montiel, who had invited her to the party.

In June, Montiel spoke to prosecutors, had a statement taken and denied the accusations. According to a report in The Athletic, the case is active and Montiel and another male are still under investigation, with testimony and evidence still being gathered. Montiel could be called again to testify.

Nottingham Forest said in a statement to The Athletic: “The club has conducted due diligence and we are fully satisfied following conversations with his representatives.”

On Monday, Manchester United announced that they would be parting ways with Mason Greenwood, more than six months after charges of sexual assault and domestic violence against the striker were dropped.

In July, former Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy was cleared of one count of rape and one count of attempted rape after a retrial. In January, he was found not guilty of six counts of rape. Mendy joined Ligue 1 side Lorient in July.