Crystal Palace’s move for Club Brugge centre-back Joel Ordonez has hit a snag after his medical threw up concerns over a foot injury, leaving the Premier League club weighing whether to press ahead with the deal.
How the deal came together
BBC Sport reported this week that Palace had swooped in to hijack Aston Villa’s pursuit of the Ecuador international, agreeing an initial loan with an option to buy at the end of the season. The move was seen as a swift piece of business in a market where Villa appeared to be the frontrunners.
What went wrong at the medical
Ordonez, 22, is recovering from a broken metatarsal, and Palace were already aware of the injury when they negotiated the terms of the switch. However, the issue is understood to be more serious than the club had initially been led to believe, according to reporting on the situation, prompting a rethink before any deal is finalised.
That discrepancy between the expected severity of the injury and what emerged during the medical examination is now the central sticking point, with Palace yet to commit to completing the signing.
Palace’s next move
The south London club are set to decide whether to proceed with the deal, though no final call has been confirmed. The uncertainty comes at an awkward moment, given the club’s growing need for defensive reinforcements.
Why Palace need cover now
Palace have stepped up their efforts to bring in a new centre-back after Chadi Riad was stretchered off during Saturday’s match against Everton. The nature and severity of that injury were not detailed, but the incident clearly accelerated the club’s search for defensive options.
They moved quickly on one front, completing a loan deal for Chelsea’s Axel Disasi on Wednesday. That signing, however, has not ended Palace’s interest in strengthening the position further — the club still want to add another central defender to the squad, which explains why the Ordonez pursuit was launched in the first place.
What happens next
With the medical complication now public, attention turns to whether Palace will look to renegotiate terms, delay the move, or walk away entirely. Given the loan-with-option structure already agreed, there may be scope for adjustment rather than a full collapse, though nothing has been confirmed either way.
For now, the deal remains unresolved, and Palace’s final decision on Ordonez is expected to shape how aggressively they continue shopping for central defensive cover before any further business is done.
