Enzo Monteiro terminates loan to return to Santos

The Bolivian forward ends his spell with the South Korean club and arrives at Peixe with no prospects of immediate game time.

Enzo Monteiro has prematurely terminated his loan agreement with South Korea's Chungbuk Cheongju and returned to Santos. The return comes after losing his place in the Korean team and the birth of his child, which motivated the decision to return to the Baixada Santista.

Reasons for termination and return to Brazil

The Bolivian forward saw his playing time reduced after a managerial change at Chungbuk Cheongju and did not feature in recent K League 2 matches. In addition to professional matters, Enzo's wife recently gave birth, and the couple wished to be close to family in the Baixada Santista. Since the loan agreement was set to expire in December, both parties agreed to end the deal early.

Club interest and contract status

During the transfer window, Enzo attracted interest from clubs in Eastern Europe and the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B, but no negotiations progressed. His contract with Santos runs until December 2027, but the player will not be registered for the Campeonato Brasileiro as the CBF registration deadline has already passed.

Training conditions at Santos

Despite being back at the club, Enzo is not in coach Cuca's plans for the final stretch of the season. He is expected to train separately at the CT Rei Pelé, without being considered for the remaining matches. Discussions regarding the athlete's future will resume at the end of the season, as part of the sporting planning for 2027.

Performance in recent seasons

In the current season, Enzo played nine matches for Chungbuk Cheongju – seven in the K League 2 and two in the Korea Cup. In the previous year, he was on loan at Latvia's FK Auda, where he scored five goals, provided one assist in 39 matches, and won the Latvian Cup.

International career and history at Santos

Enzo Monteiro is a regular in the Bolivian national team, playing in the South American Qualifiers and the 2026 World Cup playoffs. He arrived at Santos in 2018, came through the youth ranks, scored 35 goals in 76 games for the Under-20s, and made his official first-team debut in 2024, playing 60 minutes in the 2-0 victory over Paysandu.

With information from Terra, Diário do Peixe, Santistas.