Chelsea 'one step away' from signing next Caicedo

Cameron Smith

• 21 Nov 2024 05:00 CST
• 5 min read

Chelsea are “one step away” from signing Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez, according to sensational reports in Ecuador.

The 20-year-old has impressed since moving to the Belgian giants from Independiente del Valle in 2022 and he is now reportedly on the verge of securing a move to Stamford Bridge.

Ecuadorian outlet Expreso have claimed that Ordonez is “one step away” from joining international team-mate Moises Caicedo at Chelsea, with the Blues eager to continue their policy of signing the best young talents in world football.

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Furthermore, Ole have revealed that Chelsea sent scouts to exclusively watch Ordonez in action against Aston Villa in the Champions League at the start of November.

Ordonez played the entire 90 minutes at centre-back against Unai Emery’s side, helping Club Brugge seal a 1-0 win thanks to a Hans Vanaken penalty.

Ecuadorian publication Ole also state that Club Brugge will demand a transfer fee of around €30 million for the centre-back, meaning he would become the club’s third-biggest sale of all time.

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In addition to Ordonez, Chelsea are also interested in signing Bayer Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah, with the Germany international set to become a free agent when his current contract expires next summer.

Enzo Maresca’s side have been linked with a move for Sporting CP centre-back Ousmane Diomande as well, but Arsenal and Manchester United appear to be currently leading the race for the Ivorian’s signature.

Joel Ordonez

Just like current Chelsea star Caicedo and future Blues wonderkid Kendry Paez, who is joining the club in 2025, Ordonez came through the famed Independiente del Valle academy.

He made just 12 senior appearances for the Ecuadorian side, however, before joining Club Brugge’s academy at the age of 18.

Since then, he’s developed into a key player for the Belgian Pro League outfit and his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) now stands at €9.1m.