Chelsea make ‘fresh contact’ with defender from the same academy as Moises Caicedo who is ‘ready’ for January move

Ecuador's Joel Ordonez in action with Peru's Kevin Quevedo. (REUTERS/Sebastian Castaneda)

Chelsea continue to produce the full spectrum of performances.

A brilliant 3–0 dismantling of Barcelona in the Champions League was followed by a dominant display in a 1–1 draw against Premier League leaders Arsenal — only for Enzo Maresca’s side to collapse days later in a dismal 3–1 defeat to newly promoted Leeds.

Defensively, the showing at Elland Road was especially alarming, with Tosin Adarabioyo enduring a night to forget and gifting Leeds their third goal.

With the back line creaking, it seems Chelsea are accelerating plans to reinforce in January.

Chelsea have made “fresh contact” with the representatives of Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez as they weigh up a January move, according to TEAMtalk.

The Blues have monitored Ordonez since before his 2023 switch to Europe, and their interest has remained consistent. The 21-year-old, who came through the same Independiente del Valle academy that produced Moisés Caicedo, is understood to be close friends with the Chelsea midfielder.

Caicedo has reportedly given positive feedback on Ordonez to the club’s hierarchy.

Sources indicate that both Ordonez and Club Brugge are ready to accept a winter transfer, with England described as his most likely destination. Lines of communication between Chelsea and the player’s camp have remained open for months, but fresh talks have been held in recent weeks.

Chelsea are not alone, however. Manchester City, Liverpool, and Tottenham have all been monitoring the Ecuadorian centre-back closely.

Given Chelsea’s recent defensive struggles, many supporters would argue that almost any upgrade is welcome — and Ordonez could be exactly the injection of stability they need.

Barnaby Lane is a highly experienced sports writer who has written for The Times, FourFourTwo Magazine, Sports Illustrated, TalkSPORT, and Business Insider.

Over the years, he's had the pleasure of interviewing some of the biggest names in world sport, including Usain Bolt, Rafael Nadal, Christian Pulisic, and more.