Centre-back says YES to Liverpool as agreement moves closer | OneFootball

Liverpool’s centre-back department is due to undergo a shakeup in the upcoming transfer windows.

Arguably that process has already begun - with sporting director Richard Hughes completing a £26m deal for Parma teenager Giovanni Leoni last summer.

The Reds also tried and failed to secure a deadline day move for Marc Guehi - demonstrating that Hughes and Slot both recognised the need for quality and numbers at the heart of defence.

Liverpool’s options were depleted even further when 18-year-old Leoni was injured on debut and his ACL tear is expected to keep him out for the season.

Liverpool in the market for a defender this January

Right now the Anfield club only have Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez available as senior options - and Konate’s contract runs out at the end of the season.

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Van Dijk and Gomez meanwhile are both due to leave the club when their contracts expire a year later in 2027. That’s why the Reds have got a pressing need to add defenders - starting in January if possible.

And now comes a report that there has been a breakthrough with Club Brugge WILLING to sell top defender Joel Ordonez in the winter window.

Joel Ordonez is open to Liverpool move

"Brugge are open to a deal in January and, critically, Ordonez himself is ready to make the move and England is the most likely landing spot,” TEAMtalk reports.

Chelsea are also on the trail of the Ecuador international - with Moises Caicedo said to be interested in landing his national team colleague at Stamford Bridge.

But Liverpool may well have the advantage for the 21-year-old - with the club’s recruitment staff paying close attention to his progress over the past year.

“Liverpool, though, are also huge admirers of Ordonez and have been following him closely for the last 12 months,” the report reads.

Ordonez is under contract with the Belgian giants until 2029 - and has established himself as a consistent performer in the league as well as the Champions League. His arrival could be just what the Reds require amid a dismal campaign.