Liverpool are confirmed to be interested in signing Colombian centre-back Kevin Mantilla, with the Reds monitoring the CA Talleres defender for four months as their search for a defender continues to gather pace.
A report from AS in December stated Liverpool were tracking the 20-year-old, with CA Talleres President, Andres Fassi, confirming the interest by telling La Voz: “It’s true, they have been following him for four months now. And they asked us for information about his physical records.”
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Only joining the Argentinian side in the summer, the young defender played eight times last season, helping Talleres to qualify for the Copa Libertadores.
Although yet to earn a senior international cap, Mantilla was a part of Colombia’s 2023 South American U20 Championship squad, in which he helped them to a third-place finish behind Brazil and Uruguay. He was also a part of their U20 World Cup squad that saw Colombia reach the quarter-finals.
Speaking on Mantilla, AS Colombia journalist, Juan Bee, told us: “At the moment there is only interest from Liverpool, as well as Brighton. But there is no formal offer.
“Mantilla has been a wish for Liverpool since the U20 Championships in which Liverpool sent a scout.”
Standing at 6 foot 3, Under 23 scout and journalist Antonio Mango has labelled Mantilla as a ‘beast’, potentially providing Liverpool with an option to replace Joel Matip who will likely leave the club at the end of the season.
With the Argentinian season set to get underway at the end of the month, recruiting Mantilla now as opposed to the summer is unlikely. However with an estimated market value of just €2.5 million (Transfermarkt), the Colombian could turn out to be a future bargain if Liverpool does decide to lure the centre back to Anfield.
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According to football talent scout, Jacek Kulig, Mantilla is an aggressive and physical defender who constantly looks for ground duals and interceptions. He also has excellent positional awareness with an impressive passing range as well. He has also shown tremendous leadership and growth in his short career.
Perhaps less of a ball player and more of a no-nonsense type of defender than the likes of Goncalo Inacio and Jean-Clair Todibo who have also been linked, Mantilla could provide a different type of young option to Liverpool’s back line at a much lower price. Of course, there’d be some initial risk in signing a player without any European experience, but at just 20 years old, Klopp would have more than enough time to mould and develop the Colombian into a fantastic centre-half. It’ll certainly be interesting to see if Liverpool will remain interested in securing a deal for the youngster.
