Rangers face competition from Premier League giants Liverpool for Kevin Mantilla but Sante Fe president Eduardo Mendez says the young defender ‘has no desire to leave’ at present, speaking to Blu Radio.
The 19-year-old is, it seems, an old head on young shoulders.
Even links with some of the biggest clubs in Britain are not distracting Mantilla from the task at hand; Santa Fe enduring a difficult start to the new Colombian league season.
Mantilla admitted recently that he was flattered to catch the eye of Liverpool, Rangers and co, before insisting that his ‘focus’ remains on Sante Fe and Santa Fe alone.
And club president Mendez has now struck a similar tone when breaking his silence on the teenager’s future.
Rangers are keen on Colombia starlet Kevin Mantilla
“(Mantilla is) a magnificent person who values and respects his club,” Mendez says. “He has told us that the club benefits him, he has no desire to leave. He wants to be at Santa Fe before traveling the world.”
Mantilla, a 6ft 3ins centre-half, burst onto the scene as Sante Fe finished in sixth place last season. According to Tuttomercatoweb, Liverpool have been scouting the youngster for some time now but Mantilla would struggle to obtain a work permit in the post-Brexit era. While a regular with Colombia’s U20 side, he is yet to make his debut for the senior side.
TMW believe that Torino are also hot on Mantilla’s heels. Rangers will face no shortage of competition then; Mendez admitting that clubs from Greece, Portugal and even Uruguay have made their interest known too.
“We have to think first of the team. So that, if the player leaves, it turns out well and with all the guarantees so that a good future is ensured for him,” Mendez adds.
“Clubs have called us, looked at us, and we have the doors open.”
