Official: Colorado Rapids sign Alexis Manyoma from Estudiantes

Commerce City, CO – The Colorado Rapids have signed U-22 initiative player Alexis Manyoma from Argentinian side Estudiantes. Manyoma joins on a loan until next summer with an option to buy. Sources tell Burgundy Wave that there is a loan fee, nothing exorbitant. The loan expires July 21, 2026.

Alexis Manyoma joined Estudiantes de la Plata in 2023, after spending four seasons with Internacional F.C. de Palmira in Colombia. Manyoma also has 20 appearances for the Colombian U-19 and U-20 sides. He’s an exciting prospect, and one that Colorado is excited to acquire.

Manyoma made 81 appearances with the Colombian side Internacional. Scoring nine times with the team and registering two assists. Manyoma then made the move to Argentina. Estudiantes picked him up midway through 2023. He has made 50 appearances for the Argentinian side, picking up five goals and six assists. He has yet to register a goal or assist in 2025.

The statistics don’t scream off the page, but at just 22-years-old, Manyoma is just starting his young career. He is coming to Colorado as an exciting young player rather than a proven goal-scorer. This style of acquisitions can be very hit or miss. Especially in the winger department, this is the chase of an exciting prospect that led to Kévin Cabral. It can also lead to acquisitions like Rafa Navarro. With the restricted budget that Colorado has, Manyoma is the type of big swing that they are forced to take.

Colorado believes they’ve done their homework and think the issues he’s had recently is something they can avoid here. They believe he will be a better fit in Commerce City.

Despite the lack of a proven record from Manyoma, the winger room has been one that Colorado has needed to improve in for a few years. It was only recently that Ted Ku-DiPietro and Calvin Harris both broke out and looked like MLS-quality wingers. Outside of that, the team has been relying on young guys like Sam Bassett and Alex Harris when those players should be fully focused on Rapids 2. Alexis Manyoma, at a minimum, allows for more depth on the wing.

However, he should slot into the starting lineup pretty early for Colorado. Whether he takes out Calvin Harris or Ted Ku-DiPietro, I would expect Chris Armas to make room for him. He’s played more on the left, so maybe he bumps KDP or KDP moves centrally. Especially with the loan expiring next summer, Colorado should look to give Manyoma as many minutes as they can to get him acclimated to MLS and see if he is the right fit for the Rapids. Sources tell Burgundy Wave the option to buy is in excess of $2 million but a good valuation.

Manyoma was able to join Colorado on that U-22 initiative due to Djordje Mihailović being traded to Toronto, opening up the DP slot. Colorado will follow the two designated players and four U-22 initiative player format rather than the three DP and U-22 format they followed going into 2025. While Manyoma is here due to the exit of Djordje, he is not the “Djordje replacement.” He is more fittingly the Kevin Cabral replacement. Pádraig Smith says the team is looking at multiple players to bring in to try and fill the gap that Mihailović left.

Colorado will have to think on their toes after their star player left midway through the year, and Alexis Manyoma is step one for the club to start a new era without Djordje. Manyoma will bring explosiveness and danger to the Rapids’ winger room that has been in desperate need for a while. The success of this transfer will be squarely on the production that Manyoma is able to produce in his time here. He should not be the direct Djordje replacement, but he will be asked to contribute to replicating the contributions of Mihailović. At the very least, he has to be better than Cabral was, right? Either way, welcome to Colorado, Alexis Manyoma!

Photo Credit: Joaquín Camiletti/Getty Images

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