Aston Villa make first move to sign star loved by John McGinn

Aston Villa have made an approach to sign Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez, as a replacement for Ezri Konsa.

Konsa completed a move to Arsenal earlier this week, and the defender was introduced to the fans for the first time ahead of their 3-0 victory at home against Coventry City.

As such, Villa have been searching for a new centre-back before their own Premier League campaign begins, with Unai Emery‘s side set to take on Brighton & Hove Albion at the American Express Stadium on Sunday.

REUTERS/Mike Segar

Ordonez has emerged as an option, having emerged as a key player for Club Brugge, racking up 128 appearances for the Belgian side, with 33 of those coming in the Jupiler Pro League last season.

During that time, the 22-year-old averaged 6.7 defensive contributions per 90, which was the second-highest number in the Club Brugge squad, while he managed to get on the scoresheet on three occasions.

The Ecuadorian may not be the finished product though, as evidenced by the fact he was sent off twice, and Ben Mattinson‘s assessment suggests his poor disciplinary record could be due to his style of play, with the Como scout saying: “Hyper aggressive defender with top duel winning ability, loves to get tight to attackers and engage early to step up and intercept. Also possesses decent ball-playing ability. Can overcommit, needs to control aggression at times.”

According to David Ornstein, Aston Villa have now made their first move to sign Ordonez, engaging in “contact” regarding a deal for the Club Brugge star, who could be brought in as an alternative to Southampton’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis.

Harwood-Bellis was left out of the Saints’ squad for their 3-1 victory against Stoke City on Saturday, amid interest from the Villans, but they are yet to strike an agreement with the Championship side.

The 24-year-old already has experience in the Premier League, having made 34 appearances in the competition for Southampton during the 2024-25 season, and he recorded similar defensive numbers to Ordonez last season.

Much like the Brugge defender, Harwood-Bellis is also known for his aggression and duel-winning abilities, with former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola once saying: “The guys from the academy spoke really well about him before preseason. I saw in preseason. He is aggressive, he wins duels, he pays attention.”

However, the Englishman is yet to take the next step in his career by signing for a club competing in Europe, which means he could be a risky signing for Aston Villa.

Ordonez, on the other hand, has 22 Champions League appearances to his name, and John McGinn is known to be a big fan, saying during the 2024-25 season: “They had a really good young right centre-back. I think he was from Ecuador. He was excellent, probably one of the best players in the park.”