Liverpool fans, get ready — the Anfield transfer saga just got a whole lot louder.
Club Brugge’s 21-year-old defensive sensation Joel Ordonez has thrown the door wide open to a summer move to Merseyside with an emotional, no-holds-barred admission that he was a Liverpool-mad kid and that the Premier League — and specifically Anfield — is his dream destination.
Speaking exclusively to Belgian newspaper Gazet Van Antwerpen, the Ecuadorian international didn’t hold back:
“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. As a kid, I was a big Liverpool fan, too.”
In one sentence, the Champions League star has effectively told Liverpool: “I’m coming.”
Reds’ defensive rebuild reaches boiling point
The timing couldn’t be more perfect for Arne Slot’s side. Virgil van Dijk turns 35 this summer and is now entering the final 16 months of his Anfield contract. Doubts continue to swirl around Ibrahima Konaté, who is just weeks away from becoming a free agent if no new deal is signed — despite FSG reportedly tabling their biggest offer yet.
With Real Madrid still hovering in the background, Liverpool are actively planning for the long-term future.
They already have Italian prospect Giovanni Leoni on the books and Jeremy Jacquet arriving this summer, but sources close to the club confirm they will still pursue at least one more top-quality centre-half in the coming window.
Enter Joel Ordonez.
The 21-year-old has been on Liverpool’s radar for months. He can play centre-back or right-back, making him the perfect versatile upgrade on Joe Gomez. He starred in Club Brugge’s Champions League campaign that reached the play-off round before Atletico Madrid ended their run, and his €40m (£35m/$47m) price tag is seen as realistic for a player of his age and pedigree.
Ordonez confirms: Liverpool were always special
In the same wide-ranging interview, Ordonez opened up about the January collapse of a move to Crystal Palace — and made it crystal clear where his heart truly lies.
“I’m indeed a calm person, someone who always keeps a level head. You see that on the pitch too. If opponents challenge me, I never react, but at that moment, I was really angry, yes. Those had been stressful weeks, too. Yet I was able to quickly turn things around afterwards. I’m no longer sad about that missed transfer and I’m just happy to be here. Everything happens for a reason after all.”
He also shut down speculation about a big-money move to Saudi Arabia, rejecting an offer from Al-Hilal.
“I also received an offer from Saudi Arabia (from Al-Hilal), but I’m not looking for that right now. I want to win trophies at the highest level and make a name for myself.”
Translation? The kid who grew up loving Liverpool isn’t interested in easy money — he wants Anfield.
Liverpool’s transfer hierarchy — where does Ordonez fit?
TEAMtalk understands that while Ordonez remains firmly on Liverpool’s shortlist, the club are currently prioritising other targets:
- A potential sensational return of academy graduate Jarell Quansah from Bayer Leverkusen
- Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni (though his monster price and reluctance to leave make it extremely difficult)
However, insiders stress that no door has been closed on Ordonez. With his public declaration of boyhood love for the Reds now out in the open, the Ecuadorian has handed Liverpool the green light they needed to accelerate talks.
A summer move worth around €40m would represent outstanding value for a player who can immediately challenge for minutes while also serving as a long-term successor to van Dijk.
The message is clear
Joel Ordonez has spoken. His childhood club is Liverpool. His dream league is the Premier League. And right now, his eyes are firmly fixed on Anfield.
Liverpool have been given the green light for what could be one of the smartest, most romantic blockbuster deals of the summer.
“I’m coming.”
The ball is now in Anfield’s court.
Watch this space. The summer window just got very, very interesting.