‘I was very angry’ – Joel Ordóñez on his failed transfer to Marseille | OneFootball

While he now wears the colours of Club Brugge, Venezuelan Joel Ordóñez (21) could well have been playing for Olympique de Marseille this season. Close to signing with Les Phocéens last summer, the central defender ultimately saw his transfer fall through in the final hours of the transfer window.

“I thought I was going to Marseille at that point, yes. An agreement was close,” Ordóñez explained in an interview with Het Nieuwsblad. Although he admits that he was “really angry” at the time and that the weeks of negotiations “had been trying”, the Guayaquil native is now delighted to have stayed in Belgium. “I was able to turn things around very quickly. I no longer regret the failed transfer and I’m just happy to be here. Everything happens for a reason,” he concluded.

Following his contract extension with Club Brugge until June 2029, Ordóñez quickly regained his place at the heart of the Belgian club’s defence. He has appeared in 34 matches in all competitions this season, starting 30 times.

This is enough to continue to fuel the ambitions of Europe’s biggest clubs, some of which would like to see him leave next summer.

GFFN | Léo Aschi