Crystal Palace open talks with Club Brugge to try to block Aston Villa signing of Joel Ordonez

Crystal Palace have opened discussions with Belgian club Club Brugge in an effort to hijack Aston Villa's pursuit of defender Joel Ordonez, the report published on 26 August 2026 says. Ordonez played for Ecuador at this summer's World Cup.

Aston Villa had pursued Ordonez after failing to reach agreement with Southampton over Taylor Harwood-Bellis, and Palace regard the 22-year-old as a long-term target for their Selhurst Park squad. Palace stepped up searching for defensive reinforcements after Chadi Riad was stretchered off in the match against Everton on Saturday; the club completed a loan signing of Axel Disasi on Wednesday but still want to add another central defender.

Villa have been working on a deal for Ordonez in recent days as they reshaped their centre-back options following the sale of Ezri Konsa to Arsenal last week. The Midlands club had prioritised a move for Harwood-Bellis, 24, but the two clubs remained separated by a significant valuation gap, prompting Villa to intensify interest in Brugge's defender.

Ordonez has missed the start of the new season because of a fractured metatarsal. He featured heavily for Club Brugge last term, appearing in 46 matches during the previous campaign.

A product of Club Brugge’s academy, Ordonez has made 128 appearances for the Belgian side and scored seven goals. He was part of Ecuador's World Cup squad this summer and missed only one game before Ecuador were eliminated by Mexico in the round of 32.

Palace have made six signings so far this summer, including winger Dwight McNeil and centre-back Takehiro Tomiyasu, as they pursue further additions to their defensive options.

Club Brugge value Ordonez at £40m and talks between the clubs are ongoing over a potential transfer.