Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca will hope to see his side return to winning ways when they host Bournemouth on Tuesday evening.
The Blues surrendered a 1-0 lead to lose 2-1 at home against Aston Villa last time out, and have now won just one of their last six Premier League games.
That run of form has seen Maresca’s side drop from second to fifth in the Premier League table, with hopes of a title challenge quickly dashed.
Now, it has emerged that the west London side have pulled out of the race to sign a highly rated South American defender.
According to Bolivia, via CaughtOffside, Chelsea have ended their interest in Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez, leaving Premier League rivals Liverpool in pole position to sign the player.
The report claims that the Blues had been monitoring Ordonez, 21, but have now pulled out of the race to land the Ecuadorian.
It is currently unclear whether or not the west London side will move on to alternative defensive targets, with Maresca’s squad having suffered from injuries to defenders this term.
Ordonez has been linked with a move to England (Photo: Aflo Co. Ltd/Alamy)
Ordonez left boyhood club Independiente to move to Belgium in 2022 and has now made more than 100 appearances for Club Brugge since graduating into their senior side.
The Ecuador international is contracted to Club Brugge until the end of the 2028/29 campaign, although the report eludes to the idea that the player himself would be keen to embark on a challenge at a club where he could compete for the biggest trophies.
Liverpool’s interest in Ordonez comes amid uncertainty surrounding the future of current defender Ibrahima Konate, with the Frenchman entering into the final six months of his contract and looking increasingly likely to depart Anfield at the end of the season.