Wrexham AFC eyeing blockbuster £4m transfer deal for 3-cap Colombia international | OneFootball

Wrexham are chasing a deal for Colombian midfielder Juan Portilla as they strengthen for the Championship next season.

Wrexham are in the hunt for a Colombian international midfielder who's won three caps for his country and who may be available for £4 million.

It's turning into a busy summer for Wrexham, as they seek to strengthen ahead of a return to the second tier following an absence of 43 years. The Red Dragons ended last season as League One runners-up to Birmingham City, but the Championship is a very different beast to League One and squad-strengthening has become imperative as the summer has progressed.

Six new players have already arrived at the club ahead of the new season, but despite the fact that there are now just a couple of weeks before the big kick-off, Wrexham are still reportedly on the lookout for new players.

Their midfield has already been significantly strengthened this summer, with the arrivals of Lewis O'Brien from Nottingham Forest, George Thomason from Bolton Wanderers and Josh Windass from Sheffield Wednesday.

But there is still evidently more work to be done to add depth to their first-team squad, and the club have turned to South America in the hunt for the players that could continue their recent upward trajectory.

Colombian international Portilla has attracted Wrexham's attention

Journalist Alan Nixon reports that Wrexham are interested in taking the 3-cap Colombian international Juan Portilla to the Stok Cae Ras for the new season.

Portilla plays his club football in Argentina for Talleres de Cordoba, and Nixon reports that the club have put a £4 million price tag on his head, and also that they have already rejected advances from several Brazilian clubs who were interested in taking him on.

Wrexham have already been in contact with the player, and it's reported that he is keen to move to this country. Such a move would be a high-profile one for Wrexham, and a clear sign of their ambition for the new season.

A move for Portilla could benefit both the player and Wrexham

Juan Portilla has already been a bit of a globe-trotter at 25 years old, having already played club football in Colombia, the USA, Chile and Argentina.

He made his debut in the Colombian second division for Universitario Popayán in 2016, but emigrated to the USA in 2018 and joined the NASL club Jacksonville Armada, although he stayed with them for less than a year before moving on to Chile, to join Deportes Melllipia.

But again, he didn't stay that long. A year on, he returned to his home country to play for Allianza Petrolera and America de Cali, before ending up in Argentina with Talleres de Cordoba. He collected his first international cap for Colombia in a World Cup qualifier as a late substitute in their 2-1 win against Argentina in September 2024 and has represented his country on a further two occasions since then.

Bringing him to Wrexham would be a big step-up in terms of the profile of the player because this particular club have a growing global profile on account of their owners. But it would also benefit Wrexham, adding a ruggedness to their midfield that they will need at a higher level along with international pedigree and clear quality.