Newcastle closing in on Joel Ordonez? - Big claims from South America
When Eddie Howe and the Newcastle United recruitment team really want to sign a player, we’ll see the same crop of names linked with transfers to Tyneside window after window.
James Trafford is perhaps the best example in recent years: even with a permanent move to Manchester City back in August, it’s truly a never-say-never situation surrounding the England international.
With that in mind, it's interesting to see another previously linked name crop up this week, suggesting Newcastle may be looking abroad for defensive reinforcements once again after a successful move for Malick Thiaw over the summer...
Ordonez to Newcastle?
According to Mercado Futbol, Newcastle United are hoping to sign Ecuadorian defender Joel Ordonez, who is expected to seal a move away from Club Brugge in the New Year.
First linked back in December 2024, Ordonez has become a mainstay for the Belgian giants this season: he’s played almost every minute of their ongoing Champions League campaign, and made 10 appearances in the Belgian Pro League so far this season.
Writing on X, Ecuadorian outlet Mercado Futbol claims that we are “getting ever closer” to signing the 21-year-old, who has been linked with a plethora of other clubs in the last few weeks, including Liverpool, Aston Villa, Chelsea, and even the European duo of Inter Milan and PSG.
Valued in excess of €30m by Club Brugge, Ordonez has already racked up Champions League experience over the past two seasons, playing against the likes of Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Man City, AC Milan and Juventus.
The versatile defender can also play at right-back and has been part of an Ecuador side who showed in qualifying that they have one of the most stubborn defences in South America, with Ordonez playing a big role alongside PSG's Willian Pacho and Arsenal's Piero Hincapie.
The long term answer to Burn and Schar?
Right now, Eddie Howe should have his two starting centre backs sorted for the rest of the season in Sven Botman and Malick Thiaw.
However, with neither Dan Burn nor Fabian Schar getting any younger, Jamaal Lascelles soon-to-be out of contract and Botman still in need of an extension, the club may soon need greater depth at centre-back and another option at right-bac now Kieran Trippier is 35.
Ordonez certainly ticks a lot of boxes: young, boasting Champions League experience, and without a Premier League premium price tag attached, he’s clearly going to be a popular target for Europe’s top clubs over the next 6-18 months.
€30m is still a lot of money however, particularly when we have more urgent issues to address in the current squad, such as a long-term Nick Pope successor, and bringing in more quality out wide. But is Ordonez really a player we can afford to put on the back burner for the time being whilst so many domestic rivals are also tenuously linked with him?
