Crystal Palace Move to Hijack Aston Villa's Chase for Joel Ordonez
Crystal Palace have opened talks with Club Brugge over a move for centre-back Joel Ordonez, attempting to hijack Aston Villa's pursuit of the Ecuadorian defender (BBC Sport).
Villa had been progressing toward a deal, with The Athletic reporting on 25 August that the Midlands club were advancing on a transfer valued in the region of €30 million (£25 million) (The Athletic). Club Brugge, though, are holding out for around £40 million, and discussions remain ongoing (BBC Sport).
Ordonez, 22, is a regular Ecuador international who has been on Brugge's books since arriving from Independiente del Valle in the summer of 2022. He initially featured for Club NXT, the Belgian club's reserve side, before breaking into the first team. Since then he has won the Belgian Pro League, the Belgian Cup, and the Supercup, and forms Brugge's central defensive partnership with Brandon Mechele. He extended his contract at the Jan Breydel Stadium until 2029 last September (Club Brugge).
The reason two Premier League clubs are now scrapping over the same player is a familiar one: need. Palace accelerated their search for defensive reinforcements after Chadi Riad was stretchered off during Saturday's match against Everton. They had already completed a loan deal for Axel Disasi on Wednesday but want another body at the back (BBC Sport).
Villa's interest in Ordonez grew out of a separate frustration. They failed to agree a fee with Southampton for Taylor Harwood-Bellis, aged 24, and a significant gap in valuation saw their bids rejected (BBC Sport). That impasse pushed Villa toward Ordonez, especially after they sold key centre-back Ezri Konsa to Arsenal last week.
So both clubs arrive at Brugge's door for different reasons but with the same urgency. Palace view Ordonez as a long-term target, not a panic buy — someone they have tracked and now feel compelled to pursue with the transfer window closing. Villa see him as the solution to a defensive gap created by Konsa's departure and the Harwood-Bellis stalemate.
For Club Brugge, the situation is straightforward. They have a player under contract until 2029, a price they believe reflects his value, and two English suitors who may yet drive that fee higher. Belgian clubs have built a reputation for developing and selling defenders at premium prices, and Brugge are in no rush to budge.
The clock is the real pressure here. The summer transfer window shuts with its usual late-August deadline, and neither Palace nor Villa can afford to leave this one hanging much longer. Both need a centre-back through the door, and Ordonez is the name both have settled on.
