"They have been following him for four months" - Club president confirms Liverpool have held talks with young defender
CA Talleres president Andres Fassi has noted that Liverpool have asked for information for Kevin Mantilla.
20-year-old central defender Mantilla currently plays for the Argentine club. The Colombian is also a target for Brighton & Hove Albion, as reported by journalist Ekrem Konur.
Mantilla joined Talleres from Santa Fe in the summer and has since made nine appearances for the Argentine club. Speaking about the Merseysiders' interest in the Colombia youth international, Fassi told La Voz (via Empire of the Kop):
“It’s true. They have been following him for four months now and they asked us for information about his physical records.”
A towering figure at the heart of the defense, Mantilla was signed by Talleres for only €1.8 million. Hence, the club could make a massive profit if a Premier League side snaps up the defender as there could be a notable fee involved in the transaction.
While Liverpool have many South American players in their ranks, they have rarely bought one directly from a South American club.
Lee Bowyer says turning down Liverpool is his biggest regret
Back in 2002, Lee Bowyer turned down a move to Liverpool to stay at Leeds United. It's rare for a player to turn down a high-profile move to the Anfield club due to the status of the team.
Bowyer, however, did so. He has now said in a recent interview that he would have chosen differently if he had the chance. Speaking on the same to MNF Retro, Bowyer said (via This is Anfield):
"I was very close. I was halfway through a medical but it just didn’t feel right for me at the time. That is my biggest regret in football not going to Liverpool at that time. If I could’ve turned the clock back I would’ve gone."
Bowyer continued:
“Looking back, I made the wrong decision.”
Bowyer added that he knew his time at Leeds was almost up and wanted to be close to his family. The Englishman, however, eventually ended up playing for Newcastle, which moved him even further. He said:
“I thought doing another five years up north, being a long way away from my family after doing six years at Leeds, didn’t sit right, but after all that I ended up going to Newcastle, which is even further away. It makes no sense!"
While Bowyer wasn't the star name that usually the Anfield club recruited, Jamie Carragher revealed that former manager Gerard Houlier loved Bowyer's playing style.