RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Senior football correspondent Published 59 minutes ago Crystal Palace are attempting to hijack Aston Villa 's move for Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez.
Villa launched a move for the Ecuador international after failing to agree a fee with Southampton for Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
But Palace have now opened talks with the Belgian side over a move for Ordonez, who is viewed as a long-term target by the Selhurst Park club.
Palace have accelerated their efforts to sign a new centre-back after Chadi Riad was stretchered off against Everton on Saturday.
They completed a deal to sign Axel Disasi on loan on Wednesday but want to add another centre-back to the squad.
Villa have been working on a deal for the 22-year-old in recent days.
The Midlands side, who sold key centre-back Ezri Konsa to Arsenal last week, had targeted a move for Harwood-Bellis, 24, but there is understood to be a significant gap in valuation between the two clubs which saw Villa step up their interest in Ordonez.
The Belgian side value Ordonez at £40m with discussions ongoing.
Ordonez has missed the start of the new season with a fractured metatarsal, but played 46 games last season for Brugge.
After graduating from Brugge's youth ranks, he has played 128 times for the Belgian side, scoring seven times.
Ordonez represented Ecuador at this summer's World Cup, missing just one game before his country were eliminated by Mexico in the round of 32.
Palace have made six signings so far this summer, among them winger Dwight McNeil and centre-back Takehiro Tomiyasu.
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