Expert insight
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Aston Villa’s busy summer transfer window looks to continue right up until next Tuesday’s deadline, and they are now progressing in a deal to sign defender Joel Ordóñez from Club Brugge. The proposed deal is for an initial loan with an obligation for Villa to make the move permanent for a fee in the region of €30 million next summer. The Ecuador international has been considered among several options to replace the now-departed Ezri Konsa – who joined Arsenal last week in a deal worth €59.6m plus add-ons.
Villa had also pursued Southampton’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis, seeing two offers rejected for the former Manchester City academy product. Southampton have made clear their valuation for the 24-year-old and Villa are presently unwilling to meet it. So what can Ordóñez bring to Villa Park and could he be the perfect replacement for Konsa? With expert insight from Belgium, we bring you everything you need to know about the defender.
Joel Ordóñez – the inside track from Belgium
Bart Tamsyn is Transfermarkt’s Area Manager in Belgium and a former scout for Club Brugge. He tells us more about Ordóñez, “I think he’s one of the most complete young centre-backs the Jupiler Pro League has produced in recent years. Not Belgian, of course, but developed in the Pro League in the same way players like Piero Hincapié and Willian Pacho were polished before moving higher. At 22, and with over 120 senior games for Club Brugge, Champions League experience and regular Ecuador caps, he’s much further along than most defenders are at his age.
“If Aston Villa (or another Premier League club) signs him, they’re paying for a player who already looks like a top five league starter rather than a raw prospect. I don’t think he’s quite on the generational level of Virgil van Dijk or William Saliba as a prospect, but he’s in the tier below – alongside players like Hincapié, Pacho and Ibrahima Konaté when they were making their moves. He has the potential to become one of the Premier League’s better defenders in about three seasons time if he keeps developing.”
So what are his strengths and weaknesses? “His recovery pace is probably his biggest selling point,” reveals Tamsyn. “For a 1.88m defender, he’s unusually quick over longer distances. He can recover when the defensive line is broken – a massive requirement in the Premier League. He’s excellent at matching attackers physically. Rather than diving into tackles, he shepherds opponents into poor angles. Against quick wingers drifting inside, he’s surprisingly comfortable. He’s an anticipator. Instead of waiting for duels, he’ll step out early to intercept. That’s why he often looks calmer than more reactive defenders. He’s strong in the air.
“Not quite a dominant “clear everything” monster like James Tarkowski, but he wins a high percentage of defensive headers and attacks offensive set pieces well. One thing Brugge supporters have appreciated is how rarely he panics. He’ll receive with pressure behind him and still find a clean pass.
He’s a good passer but he’s not an elite passer. He’s closer to Konaté than Van Dijk and his long diagonals can improve. Because he likes stepping out, clever forwards can occasionally drag him away from the defensive line.
“Premier League teams with mobile strikers will test this. He is really calm on the pitch, but therefore not very communicative – not a natural leader. The Premier League is of course another level than the Jupiler Pro League. Facing players like Haaland every week is different from occasional Champions League nights. I expect an adjustment period.”
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