Crystal Palace are set to reignite their pursuit of Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez in the January transfer window after a summer deal collapsed.
The move broke down after Ordonez failed a medical, with the results revealing a foot injury sustained at the World Cup was worse than initially feared.
Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano reported that Ordonez had “said yes” to joining Palace in what would have been a €30m deal, equivalent to £26m plus add-ons.
The broken metatarsal, picked up during the World Cup, had originally been expected to keep the defender sidelined for around four to eight weeks.
However, the severity of the injury proved far greater than the club anticipated, forcing Palace to pull out of the deal ahead of the transfer deadline.
The Eagles moved quickly to address their defensive needs, bringing in Honest Ahanor on loan until the end of the season before he officially joins Chelsea from Atalanta.
Crystal Palace also secured the arrivals of Takehiro Tomiyasu and Axel Disasi on a loan basis, giving manager Pierre Sage a well-stocked central defensive unit.
Tomiyasu and Disasi have made 126 Premier League appearances between them, providing Sage with experienced options at the heart of his backline.
Despite the depth now available, Crystal Palace remain keen on Ordonez, who earned major plaudits from scout Jacek Kulig based on his performances during the 2024-25 campaign.
The 22-year-old Ecuadorian made 46 appearances in all competitions for Club Brugge last season and averaged 6.7 defensive contributions per 90 minutes in the Belgian Pro League, the second-highest figure in the squad.
Ordonez has also accumulated 20 international caps, highlighting his rapid development as one of South America’s most promising young defenders.
A report from Yahoo indicates that Palace are set to revisit their interest in January, though increased competition for his signature is expected to complicate any potential deal.