Crystal Palace came forward to sign Club Brugge’s Joel Ordóñez towards the end of the winter market.
On deadline day, Het Laatste Nieuws reported Oliver Glasner’s side tabled a ‘monster bid’ of €40m for the centre-back. He would have been their new record sale but Club Brugge still rejected the Eagles proposal.
Crystal Palace were willing to go to great lengths to try and bring him to Selhurst Park. The Jupiler Pro League side stood firm and didn’t entertain their concrete approach.
Het Nieuwsblad provides more details into Crystal Palace’s offer and what convinced them to make an attempt.
The Ecuador international had first moved to Europe when Club Brugge signed him from Independiente del Valle in 2022. He played 109 matches so far, after making his senior debut in 2023.
On January 19th, the Premier League side sold Marc Guéhi to Manchester City, and his exit saw them look for a replacement.
The newspaper now claim Ordóñez wasn’t the first-choice target for the Eagles, who made a move to sign him after facing rejections with other targets. They also explain why the London club still went ahead and made an offer.
Het Nieuwsblad state: ‘Crystal Palace were looking for someone with physical strength and height, as they are currently vulnerable in the air. Ordóñez, with his strong heading ability and physicality, was expected to be an asset, especially at set pieces. Moreover, thanks to his young age, he is someone whose value is likely to increase in the coming years. That also appealed to the Eagles.’
The player also had an opportunity to earn more than double his current salary at Crystal Palace.
However, Ordóñez wasn’t keen on a move as he wasn’t their main target for Glasner’s side. He also wanted stability and regular minutes in the coming months, ahead of the World Cup.
Club Brugge were able to fend off Crystal Palace, but Ordóñez’s exit in the summer ‘seems inevitable’. The number of interested parties and his performances at the World Cup could determine the final price.