𝕎𝕖𝕝𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕖 ℍ𝕠𝕞𝕖: 𝔸𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕟 𝕍𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕒 𝕟𝕠𝕨 𝕤𝕦𝕔𝕔𝕖𝕤𝕤𝕗𝕦𝕝𝕝𝕪 𝕨𝕠𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕖 𝕓𝕖𝕥𝕨𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕃𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕡𝕠𝕠𝕝 𝕓𝕪 𝕤𝕚𝕘𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕 𝕓𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕕𝕖𝕗𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕘𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥 𝕡𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕒𝕝𝕤”𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕙 ” £𝟜𝟛𝕞

Aston Villa have now overtaken Liverpool in the race to sign an “outstanding” new defender, with Newcastle United also keen.

Villa still keen on new additions amid uptick in form

Villa endured a slow start to the Premier League season, with the 3-0 home defeat against Crystal Palace likely to be considered a low point, but they have really managed to turn things around over the past few weeks.

Indeed, the Villans have now won five matches on the spin in all competitions, most recently defeating Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 on the road, courtesy of a first-half stunner from Morgan Rogers, which was followed up by a winner from Emi Buenda with a little under 15 minutes remaining.

Unai Emery will be very pleased about the recent uptick in form, which has seen his side rise to 11th in the Premier League table, but the manager clearly still feels a fresh injection of quality is needed, with a new centre-back of interest.

That is according to a report from Caught Offside, which states Aston Villa have now overtaken Liverpool in the race for Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez, given that Arne Slot’s side have recently decided to cool their interest.

Alongside Villa, Newcastle are also credited with a strong interest in the defender, but the Premier League sides may need to shell out a relatively high fee to get a deal over the line, with it being revealed he could command a fee of around €50m (£43m).

Both English sides should be well-positioned to get a deal done, however, with it previously being revealed that Ordonez is keen on a move to the Premier League.

“Outstanding” Ordonez could excel at Villa Park

Lauded as an “outstanding young footballer” by journalist Graeme Bailey, the Ecuadorian is a key player for Club Brugge, having made ten appearances in all competitions this season, during which time he has put in some eye-catching performances.

One of the 21-year-old’s best displays actually came in the Champions League, which is an encouraging sign, with the youngster making a number of important defensive contributions to keep AS Monaco at bay and help his side secure a comfortable 4-1 win last month.

Statistic

Number completed

Duels (won)

6 (5)

Clearances

4

Tackles

3

Scout Ben Mattinson has hailed the Brugge star for his ability in possession too, describing him “secure on the ball”, while also adding he “anticipates well” and “has the pace to recover”.

Villa’s defence has not been a major problem this season, having shipped just eight goals in eight Premier League games, but there are plenty of signs that Ordonez could be a solid long-term addition to Emery’s backline.