With the transfer window now officially open for Premier League clubs, new Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola will be working hard to add to his squad ahead of the start of next season.
The Spaniard was named as Liverpool’s new manager earlier this month, succeeding Arne Slot who had been sacked just 12 months after guiding the Reds to the Premier League title in his first season in charge.
Iraola – who left Bournemouth at the end of last season – will find out who he will face in his first match in charge when the fixtures for the new Premier League season are released on Friday morning, but in the meantime it has emerged that the Spaniard is keen to add a South American defender to their ranks.
As per Spanish outlet Fichajes, Iraola has identified Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez as a top target for this summer’s transfer window.
The report claims that Liverpool are monitoring the Ecuadorian, who is currently on international duty at the World Cup in North America.
Ordonez is a target for new Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola (Photo: Independent Photo Agency/Alamy)
Ordonez joined Club Brugge’s academy from Ecuadorian giants Independiente back in 2022 and has since graduated into the first team.
In total the centre-back has now made 128 appearances for Brugge across all competitions, helping them to win the Belgian top flight title last term.
The defender’s impressive displays earned him a place in the Ecuador squad for the World Cup, and he started their 1-0 defeat against Ivory Coast on Monday.
Liverpool are on the hunt for defensive reinforcements following Ibrahima Konate’s departure from Anfield at the end of last season, with the Frenchman looking increasingly likely to join Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Ordonez is under contract in Belgium until the summer of 2029, but the report suggests that he could be available for a fee in the region of £43.27 million this summer.