Report: Aston Villa could make double defender move

Report: Aston Villa could make double defender moveAston Villa Step Up Joel Ordonez Move in Search for Ezri Konsa Replacement

Aston Villa have accelerated their efforts in the transfer market after making an approach to sign Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez, according to The Athletic. The 22-year-old Ecuador international has been firmly on Villa’s radar and the latest contact suggests the club are now moving with greater intent following Ezri Konsa’s departure to Arsenal.

As originally reported, Ordonez was “highly admired by Villa” and had been tracked for some time. There had been uncertainty over whether Villa would commit the level of finance required, particularly given the need to strengthen elsewhere, “most notably in attack”. That picture has shifted in recent days.

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Joel Ordonez emerges as leading Aston Villa target

Villa are now in touch with Club Brugge, with Ordonez understood to be “among a list of three options to replace Ezri Konsa in central defence”. Konsa’s exit, completed “in a deal worth £51million plus add-ons”, has naturally altered the equation. Replacing a player of his stature was always likely to become an immediate priority.

There is also context around Villa’s wider search. Their “£18million bid plus add-ons” for Taylor Harwood-Bellis was rejected by Southampton, and while talks remain open, both clubs are still some way apart in valuation. That has kept alternative targets active, with Ordonez now firmly in focus.

Club Brugge defender may cost more than Harwood-Bellis

If Villa are to secure Ordonez, it will not come cheaply. The report states that “the overall package to recruit Ordonez would likely be more expensive than Harwood Bellis.” For a player with strong pedigree, that is hardly surprising.

Ordonez joined Club Brugge in August 2022 after progressing through Deportivo Azogues and Independiente del Valle. He already has 20 caps for Ecuador, “including three appearances at this summer’s World Cup”, a notable marker of his growing reputation.

Aston Villa transfer plans gather pace before Brighton opener

With Villa due to begin their Premier League campaign away at Brighton on Sunday, activity around a new centre-back is understandable. This feels like a market situation still developing, rather than one close to completion, but the approach for Joel Ordonez is significant. Villa clearly see him as a serious candidate, and with one major defensive departure already confirmed, the next phase of their business now carries added urgency.

Our View

From an Aston Villa supporter perspective, this feels like a smart response to losing Konsa. Replacing someone so reliable is never straightforward, so the key is finding a player with upside, presence and the ability to grow quickly under pressure. Ordonez sounds exactly like that profile.

The detail that he was already “highly admired by Villa” matters. Supporters always want to feel a signing is part of a clear recruitment plan rather than a rushed reaction. If Villa have tracked him for a while, there is every chance the club believe he can become a major asset in the Premier League.

There is, of course, the financial side. If “the overall package to recruit Ordonez would likely be more expensive than Harwood Bellis”, some fans may wonder if that money should be spread across multiple areas. That is fair, especially when the squad still needs help in attack. Even so, central defence is a position where compromise can be costly.

What will encourage Villa fans is that the club appear to be acting decisively. Konsa has gone, the season is here, and Villa cannot afford hesitation. Ordonez brings international experience, World Cup exposure and, from the outside, the sense of a player heading upwards. If the numbers can be made to work, this is the sort of ambitious move supporters will get behind very quickly.

Source: Athletic