Liverpool and Chelsea have both checked in with Joel Ordonez’s camp in recent weeks as they consider making a move in January, and both the player and his club are ready to accept a winter window move, TEAMtalk understands.
Both Chelsea and Liverpool are in the market for defensive reinforcements going into January.
We can confirm Chelsea have been on Ordonez’s trail since before the central defender moved to Europe with Club Brugge in 2023.
21-year-old Ordonez is a product of the famed Independiente del Valle academy where Moises Caicedo emerged and the two players are understood to be good friends from that time, and that has also continued with Ecuador senior squad.
We understand that Caicedo has offered his thoughts on Ordonez to Chelsea’s hierarchy.
Liverpool, though, are also huge admirers of Ordonez and have been following him closely for the last 12 months.
The Reds are eager to bolster their defensive ranks, but the club insist they were always looking to bring in a new defender in January – although only for the right player.
Marc Guehi remains an option for Liverpool, but TEAMtalk understands that as it stands, he will not be leaving Crystal Palace in January, so other options are more likely.
That’s where Ordonez comes in, and with Liverpool in desperate need of defensive reinforcements amid Ibrahima Konate’s disastrous form, a winter window signing at centre-back could help right the wrongs of the first half of the campaign.
TEAMtalk is told that Brugge are open to a deal in January and, critically, Ordonez himself is ready to make the move and England is the most likely landing spot.
We are told that the lines of communication between Ordonez’s camp with Chelsea and Liverpool have been open for months, but fresh contact has taken place in the last few weeks.
Aside from Chelsea and Liverpool, we are also informed that Manchester City and Tottenham are both admirers of Ordonez and have been looking at him closely again in recent weeks.
Latest Liverpool & Chelsea news
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And over at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea are keeping tabs on AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan, although the situation is less urgent because of Robert Sanchez’s impressive performances, sources have told TEAMtalk.