Crystal Palace look poised to snatch Joel Ordonez away from Aston Villa in one of the more dramatic transfer developments of the closing days of the summer window, with the Ecuadorian centre-back set to move to Selhurst Park instead of the West Midlands.
Aston Villa had been working to finalize a deal for the 22-year-old after talks with Southampton over Taylor Harwood-Bellis stalled due to a substantial gap in valuation between the two clubs. That breakdown pushed Unai Emery's side to intensify their pursuit of Ordonez, who was seen as a viable alternative following the departure of Ezri Konsa to Arsenal last week.
However, Palace have swooped in to disrupt Villa's plans, opening their own discussions with Club Brugge over a switch for the defender, who has long been considered a target by the south London club. The urgency behind Palace's move stems partly from injury concerns at the back — Chadi Riad had to be stretchered off during their match against Everton at the weekend, prompting manager Pierre Sage's side to fast-track their search for defensive reinforcements.
Palace had already moved to strengthen that area of the pitch by completing a loan deal for Axel Disasi on Wednesday, but the club has been eager to bring in a further centre-back before Tuesday's deadline. Ordonez is reportedly keen on the switch to the Premier League and could follow Disasi through the door at Selhurst Park in the coming days.
Club Brugge value Ordonez at around £40m, and discussions between the Belgian outfit and interested English clubs remain ongoing. The defender has been sidelined since the start of the new season with a fractured metatarsal but was a regular fixture for Brugge last term, featuring in 46 matches across all competitions.
Since joining Brugge in 2023, Ordonez has made 83 league appearances for the club, scoring four times, while his overall tally across all competitions stands at 128 appearances and seven goals. He also featured prominently in Brugge's Champions League campaigns over the past two seasons, including a goal against Atletico Madrid in February.
On the international stage, Ordonez represented Ecuador at this summer's World Cup, appearing in three matches before his country was eliminated by Mexico in the round of 32.
Palace's pursuit of Ordonez comes amid a busy summer of transfer activity at Selhurst Park, where the club has already completed six signings, including winger Dwight McNeil and defender Takehiro Tomiyasu. Further business could still be on the horizon before the window shuts, with Senegal international Ismaila Sarr linked with a departure amid reported interest from Liverpool and Galatasaray, while striker Jean-Philippe Mateta has also attracted attention — Aston Villa saw a bid for the forward rejected earlier this week.
Despite the speculation surrounding both players, manager Pierre Sage has insisted that Sarr and Mateta will remain at the club beyond the end of the transfer window, even as Palace continue to reshape their squad with fresh defensive additions.
For Villa, missing out on Ordonez would represent a setback in their efforts to bolster the backline following Konsa's exit, leaving Emery's side to reassess their options in the position with the deadline fast approaching.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport and Standard Sport.