Exclusive: Aston Villa and Newcastle eyeing 'complete' £25m defensive talent likened to Antonio Rudiger
He's a 'complete and dominant' defender.
- Exclusive from Graeme Bailey
Aston Villa and Newcastle United will be eager to kick on after the international break as they sit just one point adrift of the top four.
The Villans have suffered a downturn in form, picking up just one point from their last three Premier League games.
Meanwhile, the Magpies have improved of late, winning their last two in the top flight to go just ahead of Aston Villa on goal difference.
With just one point separating third from ninth, there could well be a lot of movement in and around the top half of the table in the coming weeks.
And with the January transfer window on the horizon, the likes of Newcastle and Villa may well look to make some additions to their ranks.
Both clubs are among a number of Premier League clubs that have set their sights on an exciting young centre-back who has been likened to Antonio Rudiger.
READ MORE: Aston Villa plotting bid for Manchester United target likened to Georginio Wijnaldum
Aston Villa and Newcastle eyeing Joel Ordonez
The player in question is Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez, and TBR Football sources say Villa and Newcastle have been looking at the 20-year-old ahead of the January window.
Nottingham Forest, Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers are also eyeing Ordonez, while Brighton & Hove Albion have been long-time admirers of the Ecuadorian centre-back.
Indeed, the Seagulls have known about Ordonez since before he moved to Belgium, when he was playing for Sangolqui-based Independiente del Valle.
Who is Villa and Newcastle target Joel Ordonez?
Joel Ordonez is a 20-year-old professional footballer who plays as a defender for Club Brugge and represents Ecuador at international level.
Ordonez played for Deportivo Azogues in his youth before linking up with Independiente del Valle’s academy in 2015.
The 6ft 2in ace rose through the ranks at the Ecuadorian club and made his first-team breakthrough in 2022.
However, it wasn’t long before Ordonez was in the sights of European scouts and, that same year, he joined Club Brugge’s academy, Club NXT.
Ordonez stepped up to the first-team the following year and has made 47 appearances to date for the Belgian giants. He has also won three caps for Ecuador.
According to Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig, Ordonez is a “complete and dominant” centre-back whose style of play is similar to that of Antonio Rudiger.
CaughtOffside have claimed that Brugge value Ordonez at €30million, or around £25million.
What's Your Reaction?
