Club Brugge centre-back Joel Ordóñez has spoken openly about his admiration for Liverpool, in comments that will be of interest to Crystal Palace and other Premier League clubs monitoring the 21-year-old.
In a detailed interview with Gazet van Antwerpen, the Ecuador international discussed his ambitions and made clear where his heart lies when it comes to English football.
Ordóñez joined Club Brugge from Ecuador in 2022, initially coming through the reserve setup before breaking into the first team a year later. His progress has attracted significant attention, particularly from clubs in the Premier League.
Liverpool were linked with a move at the start of January, with reports from Ecuador suggesting talks were at an advanced stage. The Belgian press quickly played those claims down, and no transfer to Anfield materialised during the winter window. Crystal Palace then entered the picture on deadline day, with reports from Belgium suggesting the Eagles had submitted a bid in the region of 40 million euros, only for Club Brugge to reject the offer. When asked about that proposal in the GVA interview, Ordóñez confirmed he was aware of it but said he had already decided he wanted to finish the season at the club, making a January move something he was not open to pursuing.
Belgian sources have since suggested his departure at the end of the season looks increasingly likely, with potentially stronger options available to him than those that were on the table last summer, when a move to Marseille fell through.
On the subject of Liverpool specifically, Ordóñez was warm in his response. He described the Premier League as his favourite league, said it would suit his physical profile well, and confirmed he had been a Liverpool supporter as a child. Whether Arne Slot’s side will make a concrete move remains uncertain, but the player’s preference is clear.
His contract runs until 2029 and Transfermarkt currently values him at 28 million euros, the highest figure of his career to date. Club Brugge are expected to use the rejected 40 million euro Palace offer as their starting point in any summer negotiations. Ordóñez is represented by AGN Football, the agency run by Augusto Nogueira and Matheus Assaf, and he is currently their most valuable client.