Image Credits: Imago Images
The January transfer window is open, and for Liverpool fans, that usually means one thing: a sudden avalanche of links, counter-links, and the desperate refreshing of social media feeds. However, recent reports claiming Liverpool had wrapped up a massive deal for a certain Belgian Pro League star appear to have jumped the gun significantly.
Over the New Year weekend, excitement peaked following reports emanating from Ecuador that claimed Liverpool had essentially finalized a deal for Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez. The reports were incredibly specific. It was claimed a fee of around £43 million (€50m) had been agreed and that the 21-year-old was effectively packing his bags for Merseyside. Some outlets even suggested he was days away from a medical, sparking frenzy among fans hoping for an early January gift.
But despite the noise, there has been plenty of cold water poured on the reports, with Fabrizio Romano coming out to claim that Liverpool has “nothing really official or concrete for Joel Ordonez:.
And now Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws has come out to agree with Romano’s view, reporting:
“Club Brugge hopes to keep everyone on board. Despite the many rumors, there is no question of a transfer of Joel Ordóñez or Christos Tzolis — or concrete monster offers for them — at the moment.”
Brugge opted to include him in their Marbella training camp squad this week, further evidence that a move to Anfield is not forthcoming just yet.
A glance at the defender’s underlying creative stats showcase why Liverpool would be keen on the Ecuadorian:
Passing Stat Per 90 Percentile
Pass Completion % 91.3% 94
Passes Attempted 65.60 81
Progressive Passes 4.47 85
npxG + xAG 0.12 91
The 6’2″ defender initially featured for Club Brugge’s reserve side before breaking into the first team, where he has accumulated over 100 senior appearances for the Belgian champions, including crucial contributions to their Champions League campaigns
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