Liverpool’s interest in Colombian youngster Kevin Mantilla has been confirmed by the president of his current club CA Talleres, according to reports from South America.
The Reds’ interest in the centre-back has been well-reported over the past year – but reports in December suggested that Liverpool had not made serious contact since first expressing an interest after he impressed at last year’s South American under-20s championships.
However, Argentinian outlet La Voz quote Talleres president Andres Fassi as saying: “It's true, they (Liverpool) have been following him for four months now, and they asked us for information about his physical records.”
Brighton and Hove Albion are also claimed to be interested in a move for the 20 year old, who moved to Argentina from Colombian side Independiente Santa Fe in July.
Despite confirming the interest from the two English clubs, Fassi gave a simple ‘no’ when asked if the club’s intention was to sell the defender.
Mantilla initially found himself in and out of the Talleres starting line-up, but established himself as a first-team regular before the season came to a close in November, with the new campaign set to get under way at the end of this month.
According to the Colombian arm of AS, Mantilla is under contract until December 2027.
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