Joel Ordonez: Crystal Palace Move to Hijack Aston Villa Deal

Palace have accelerated their search for a centre-back since Chadi Riad was stretchered off against Everton on Saturday. Axel Disasi arrived on loan on Wednesday, but the Selhurst Park club want another defender in place early in the Premier League season, before the summer transfer window shuts.

Why Villa were in for Joel Ordonez

Villa turned to Ordonez after failing to agree a fee with Southampton for Taylor Harwood-Bellis, with a significant gap between the two clubs’ valuations of the 24-year-old. Having sold Ezri Konsa to Arsenal last week, the Midlands club have been working on a deal for several days – only for Palace to move in.

Ordonez has missed the start of the new season with a fractured metatarsal, but the numbers behind him are substantial: 46 games for Brugge last season and 128 in total since graduating from the club’s youth ranks, with seven goals. He played at this summer’s World Cup for Ecuador, missing just one match before his country were eliminated by Mexico in the round of 32.

It is the latest sign of an aggressive window at Palace, who have already made six signings, among them winger Dwight McNeil and centre-back Takehiro Tomiyasu. A seventh at £40m would be serious statement business.