Aston Villa are advancing two summer moves at once. Leon Goretzka is described as a done deal, with full agreement reached and only final approval left, while Joel Ordóñez is now in contact as the club looks for an Ezri Konsa replacement.
Villa's centre-back search
Villa have already had to rebuild after Ezri Konsa, Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne and Morgan Rogers all departed Villa Park this summer. The centre-back search has now focused on Ordóñez, and Villa have opened talks with Club Brugge KV over the Ecuador international.
Brugge have been viewed as demanding around €45 million for the defender, although reports elsewhere have put the figure closer to €40million. Either way, this is not a cheap move for a player who has yet to feature for Brugge in the Jupiler Pro League after fracturing his metatarsal on duty with Ecuador at the World Cup.
Ordóñez has made no secret of the league he wants to play in. Speaking to givemesport.com, he said: "It would be great if I could go to the Premier League. That's my favourite league and given my size, it should suit me well."
He added: "As a kid, I was a big Liverpool fan, too."
That interest has come against the backdrop of Villa's stronger standing. They finished 4th in the 2025 Premier League season, and their last five results included only one defeat. Brugge, meanwhile, are 19th in the 2025 Champions League table.
Villa's next league opener is away to Brighton on Sunday afternoon, so the club's work in the market is being pushed along quickly. Goretzka looks close, and Ordóñez has become the defensive target at the same time.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →
