Aston Villa have now overtaken Liverpool in the race to sign an “outstanding” new defender, with Newcastle United also interested.
Villa remain keen on new signings as their form improves
Villa have had a slow start to the Premier League season, with their 3-0 defeat at home to Crystal Palace likely to be seen as their low point, but they have really managed to turn things around in recent weeks.
In fact, the Villains have won five games on the spin in all competitions, most recently defeating Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 away with a stunning first-half goal from Morgan Rodgers, followed by Emi Buenda’s winning goal with just under 15 minutes remaining.
Unai Emery will be very happy with his side’s recent improvement in form, which has seen them rise to 11th in the Premier League table, but the manager clearly feels they need a new injection of quality, along with a new centre-back.
Caught Offside reports that Aston Villa have overtaken Liverpool in the race to sign Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez, with Arne Slott’s side recently deciding to cool down their interest.
Newcastle, along with Villa, are also said to have a strong interest in the defender, but it has been revealed that he could command a transfer fee of around €50 million ($43 million), with Premier League teams likely having to pay a relatively high fee to get a deal over the line.
However, both English sides should be in a good position to finalize a deal, as it has previously been revealed Ordonez is keen on a move to the Premier League.
‘Outstanding’ Ordonez could excel at Villa Park
Hailed as an “outstanding young footballer” by journalist Graham Bailey, the Ecuadorian has been a mainstay at Club Brugge, appearing in 10 games in all competitions this season, with some eye-catching performances in between.
One of the 21-year-old’s best performances actually came in the Champions League, with the youngster making a number of key defensive contributions to help his side stave off AS Monaco to a comfortable 4-1 win last month, which is an encouraging sign.
statistics | completed number |
Duel (win) | 6(5) |
clearance | 4 |
tackle | 3 |
Scout Ben Mattinson also praised the Brugge star’s possession abilities, describing him as “good on the ball”, adding that he “anticipates well” and “has the pace to recover”.
Villa’s defense hasn’t been a major problem this season, with just eight goals in eight Premier League games, but there are plenty of signs that Ordonez could be a solid long-term addition to Emery’s backline.