Aston Villa may now be quite relieved they didn’t push ahead with a summer move for Joel Ordóñez.
The Club Brugge defender was a serious target for Unai Emery’s side. Villa even sent officials to Belgium as they worked to get a deal done.
His physical condition ultimately became a major problem, though. A few weeks later, that concern looks very justified.
Belgian outlet Voetbalkrant reports Ordóñez’s foot injury is worse than initially thought. He now needs surgery and could face several more months on the sidelines.
Aston Villa had pushed hard for signing
Aston Villa were looking at Ordóñez as one of their main options to replace Ezri Konsa following his move to Arsenal.
Club Brugge initially wanted around €40m (£34.7m) for the Ecuador international. His injury was already expected to bring that figure down.
Villa officials travelled to Belgium as part of their efforts to complete the signing. At that stage, Ordóñez had already been out since the beginning of July.
The 22-year-old suffered the metatarsal fracture during the World Cup and continued playing despite the problem. Ecuafut says it was a fissure in the navicular bone which later developed into a fracture.
The defender was in considerable pain but received injections so he could continue playing for Ecuador. According to the outlet, that decision has prolonged his recovery.
Ordóñez later explained that he needed medication to manage the pain. Things eventually became so bad that he could barely put weight on his foot.
The move didn’t go through, and Crystal Palace then tried to take advantage. They reached an agreement with Club Brugge worth around €30m (£26m) plus bonuses.
However, Palace also made the deal dependent on the defender passing his medical. And they eventually pulled out too.
Injury now looks far more serious
Former Belgium international Franky Van der Elst revealed that Ordóñez still requires an operation. He had heard the information from Club Brugge captain Hans Vanaken.
A return before the end of the year is therefore described as very difficult. Even a comeback after the winter break currently has no firm date attached to it. Ecuafut says Ordóñez is sure to miss Ecuador new manager Marcelo Gallardo’s first selections because of this issue.
That’s obviously bad news for Ordóñez, Club Brugge and even Ecuador’s national team. For Aston Villa, though, it puts their failed summer move into a very different light. Villa’s medical checks and caution appear to have done exactly what they were supposed to do.
