According to reports, Liverpool is interested in center back Kevin Mantilla, a Colombian, and the head of his club has verified that the rumors are “true.”
The Reds scout athletes all over the world in an effort to find the next undiscovered star who might emerge as a Kop favorite.
Mantilla, a Colombian youth international who plays center defense for CA Talleres in the Argentine premier league, is one player that has been linked to Liverpool.
In February 2023, when he was still playing for Independiente Santa Fe, there were initial reports of Liverpool’s interest, although they appeared to be mere rumors at the time.
Journalist Ekrem Konur then stated at the end of January 2023 that Brighton and Liverpool were keeping an eye on the 20-year-old CA Talleres.
Although the claim received little attention at the time, Andres Fassi, the president of Talleres’ club, has recently acknowledged that the rumor was “true.”
It’s true that they have been pursuing him for the past four months, Fassi reportedly stated to the provincial newspaper in Argentina, La Voz del Interior.
Additionally, they requested details from us regarding their tangible records. But when asked if Talleres intended to sell Mantilla, Fassi said, “No.”
Hardly does Liverpool purchase players straight from South American teams. The Reds and Andre of Fluminense were closely associated most recently, but nothing materialized there.
After joining from Colombian club Fortaleza CEIF in 2018, Anderson Arroyo was a player Liverpool did finally sign;
but, because he hasn’t been able to obtain a UK work permit, he hasn’t played for the Reds yet.
Mantilla has participated in 23 matches for the Colombia U20 team, including five in the U-20 World Cup, although it’s unclear if that would be sufficient to obtain a work permit in the UK.
An intriguing item to add, is that Mantilla can play on the left side of defence, something that does fall in line with other defenders Liverpool have been linked to, such as Levi Colwill and Lloyd Kelly.
