Liverpool are close to signing Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez, beating Chelsea to the deal.
Arne Slot aims to strengthen the defense to reduce reliance on Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk.
Joe Gomez is currently injured and has a history of fitness issues, while summer signing Giovanni Leoni suffered an ACL injury on his debut and is out for the rest of the season.
As a result, Liverpool is pursuing Ordonez, with South American reports suggesting a £35m deal is imminent. Chelsea had shown interest in the 21-year-old, who has 14 senior caps for Ecuador, but Liverpool seems to have the upper hand.
Ordonez developed at Independiente del Valle, known for producing talents like Moises Caicedo and Piero Hincapie. He joined Club Brugge in 2023 and has made 104 appearances for the team.
Liverpool had attempted to sign a centre-back in the summer, but a last-minute deal for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi fell through. They are still interested in Guehi, but he is likely to remain at Palace until his contract expires next summer.
Liverpool plans to pursue Guehi again as a free agent but will face competition from several top European clubs.
Additionally, Liverpool might lose Konate, whose contract ends this season, and he has yet to agree on an extension. Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich are keeping an eye on the situation if a new deal is not reached.
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