Newcastle are looking to beat Premier League rivals Liverpool in the race to sign Club Brugge starlet Joel Ordonez, according to CaughtOffside.
The St James’ Park side have emerged as ‘strong suitors’ for the 21-year-old central defender, who is valued at around €50m (£43m) by the Belgian club following his standout displays in both domestic and continental competitions.
Liverpool had Ordonez on their radar in the past but are not focusing on the Ecuadorian at the moment, with Arne Slot already having summer signing Giovanni Leoni eyed as an elite defensive prospect.
The Reds are claimed to be targeting more experienced names at the back, on a similar level to their long-term target Marc Guehi, amid uncertainty over Ibrahima Konate’s future.
The France international is out of contract next year and remains a target for Real Madrid, who could look to repeat the Trent Alexander-Arnold trick next summer and add another former Liverpool star to their star-studded squad.
Newcastle Eyeing Joel Ordonez Move
Joel Ordonez
According to CaughtOffside, both Newcastle and Aston Villa have emerged as potential destinations for Ordonez in 2026, with Liverpool unlikely to pursue the defender.
Ordonez, praised as ‘complete’, joined Club Brugge in the summer of 2023 from Belgian side Club NXT and has seen his stock rise significantly since.
The 21-year-old helped Brugge reach the Champions League round of 16 last season, where they lost to Aston Villa, and started every single game of their European campaign.
The Ecuadorian has made 92 appearances for the Belgian side to date, scoring four goals, and has lifted three major titles during his time at Brugge, including the league in 2023/24.
Ordonez has also won 12 caps for Ecuador and has been a regular on international duty for the past 12 months, partnering Paris Saint-Germain star Willian Pacho in central defence.
Newcastle have endured a difficult start to the season under Eddie Howe, winning just two of their first eight Premier League games.
The Magpies have one of the worst goalscoring records among all top-flight clubs in 2025/26, netting just seven times – only Nottingham Forest and Wolves have scored fewer (five each).