Joel Ordonez represents Ecuador against the United States (Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)
Liverpool’s interest in signing Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez appears to have cooled, with Newcastle United and Aston Villa emerging as more likely suitors.
As I reported here in an exclusive report for Daily Briefing, Ordonez is someone who has been on Liverpool’s radar in the past, but their focus now appears to be on other targets.
Subscribe to Daily Briefing to read more of these exclusive reports, including a long list of names Liverpool are targeting in defence, including Castello Lukeva and Sven Botman.
However, Ordonez is not understood to be a priority for the Reds, although he is currently on the list of clubs including Newcastle and Villa.
It is certain that other players will eventually join the race to sign the talented young Ecuadorian international, whose acquisition cost could be around €50 million.
Should Liverpool still be in the race to sign Joel Ordonez?
It will probably be interesting to see if the relationship with Ordonez becomes more concrete again in the near future, but for now LFC seem to be prioritizing more experienced names.
Arne Slott has Giovanni Leoni as an elite defensive prospect, but of course he is currently out with a long-term injury.
But for the time being, it definitely makes the most sense to bring in a player who can definitely make an immediate impact, which is why they will be chasing players like Marc Gehi over the summer.
However, there is no doubt that Liverpool need to do something defensively, having conceded so many goals so far this season.
Fans wondering how to buy tickets for Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Liverpool will also be wondering if Slott’s men can tighten their grip on the back of the table as they look to bounce back with a Champions League victory after losing to Galatasaray last time out.
To be fair, central defense is not the only problem for Liverpool. Two new full-backs, Jeremy Frimpong and Milos Kerkes, have been getting more playing time this season, with Dominik Szoboszlai also filling his position on the right side of defence.
With Alisson Becker also injured, Giorgi Mamadashvili will have to take his place in goal for the time being, making Liverpool even more unstable at the back.