Manchester City are eyeing a move for Ecuadorian defender Joel Ordonez this month in an attempt to strengthen their defence.

According to Fichajes, Joel Ordonez is a player of interest to Manchester City this month, with the club pondering a move for the Ecuadorian centre-back. Liverpool are linked with the Club Brugge star, but a January move from the Reds may seem unlikely, which could boost Pep Guardiola’s hope of landing the 21-year-old South American defender.

Joel Ordonez has been a constant name on some of the lists of Premier League sides. Chelsea were the ones earlier interested in signing him, and could still enter the race this month if they feel the need to sign a new centre-back.

Liverpool had scouted Ordonez earlier and were primed to explore a move for the Ecuadorian centre-back. The 21-year-old South American defender has had a tremendous season with Club Brugge, playing 24 times for the Belgian side this term, and is already considered one of the best young defenders on the continent.

Liverpool are not considering a move for Ordonez, although there’s a new suitor for the Ecuadorian as Manchester City are ready to explore a move for the 21-year-old South American defender. Pep Guardiola continues to look into the market for defensive solutions following the injuries to Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias, with the former likely to miss the remainder of the campaign.

Ordonez is quite an interesting name for Manchester City to consider, given they recruited two young defenders in January 2025 in Vitor Reis and Abdukhodir Khusanov, who are of similar profiles. The report states, the club are willing to offer a salary of €3-4 million to tempt Ordonez this month, as they will likely explore how much Club Brugge would want for their star defender.

Manchester City to sign Joel Ordonez?

The idea may seem bright, but they have already agreed a deal for Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace, and they might close the door on a defensive signing after that. Ordonez might have a bright future ahead, but he’s not something that Guardiola would want right now to improve his squad, especially after the club recalled Max Alleyne from his loan this month.

While Ordonez could be part of their planning in the future, it’s difficult to see Manchester City angling for a move this month under the current circumstances. The arrival of Guehi and the return of Alleyne do solve the defensive issues caused by the injuries to some of their other defenders, as the club are unlikely to pursue the Ecuadorian, especially this month.