Aston Villa is in discussions with Club Brugge for central defender Joel Ordonez, shifting focus after an unsuccessful pursuit of Taylor Harwood-Bellis from Southampton. The Premier League club is intensifying its interest in the 22-year-old Ecuadorian international.
Club Brugge is reportedly seeking a minimum fee of £40 million for Ordonez, who has made 124 appearances for the Belgian club since joining in 2022 from Independiente del Valle. Ordonez also featured for his national team in the recent World Cup.
Villa had previously identified Harwood-Bellis as a target, but a significant valuation gap between the clubs emerged after Southampton rejected an £18 million offer. While a deal for the 24-year-old may not be entirely closed, Villa appears to be moving on to other defensive options under manager Unai Emery.
The Birmingham club is aiming to strengthen its squad before the September 1 transfer deadline. This comes after a disappointing opening to their season, with a 4-0 loss to Brighton on Sunday. Villa has seen several key players depart this season, including Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne, and Ezri Konsa. The future of striker Ollie Watkins is also uncertain, as he has attracted interest from Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia.