Villa in talks with Club Brugge for defender Ordonez

Aston Villa are pursuing a deal with Club Brugge for central defender Joel Ordonez, following their unsuccessful attempt to sign Southampton's Taylor Harwood-Bellis. The Premier League club, who recently sold England defender Ezri Konsa to Arsenal, are intensifying their pursuit of Ordonez, with negotiations ongoing and the Belgian Pro League side demanding a minimum £40m fee for the Ecuadorian international.

The 22-year-old, who represented his country at the 2022 World Cup, has made 124 appearances for Club Brugge since joining in 2022 from Independiente del Valle. Despite initial interest in Harwood-Bellis, Villa reportedly faces a significant valuation gap with Southampton after an £18m offer was rejected. It remains unclear if a potential move for Ordonez can still be made, but for now, Unai Emery's side has shifted focus to other targets.

Villa suffered a 4-0 opening day defeat to Brighton and are actively seeking squad reinforcements before the September 1st transfer deadline. The club has recently seen key players depart, including Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne, and Konsa, with Ollie Watkins' future also in question as he attracts interest from Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia.