Young, powerful, and above all, full of potential: the Ecuadorian represents the ideal investment for Oaktree. And Inter’s management could soon make a move for him, having had him on their radar since last summer
Charles De Ketelaere firmly tops Bruges’ list of record transfers. Ardon Jashari follows close behind. They were sold for €37.5 million and €36 million, respectively. Destination: Milan for both. Common denominator: Milan in their destiny and two grueling negotiations concluded only by fully satisfying the Belgian club’s demands. Third place in this special ranking is currently held by Brazilian Igor Thiago, who moved to Brentford in the summer of 2025 for around £30 million and has become a key player in the Premier League (8 goals in 11 games) after a season of adjustment. Yet, Thiago could soon be “ousted” from the top capital gains list by Joel Ordoñez, who is hypothetically also headed to Milan. It’s too early to say, but the interest—this time not from the Rossoneri but from Inter—is very much there. A young, technical, aggressive defender, but above all one with a bright future and ready to break out. Essentially the exact profile Inter intends to target from now through the coming seasons. Or rather, from… yesterday: because Oaktree’s transfer policy is clear—it prohibits excessively costly signings and instead mandates long-term investments entrusted to Cristian Chivu, waiting to reap the rewards. Exactly what happened last summer with Bonny, Sucic, Luis Henrique, and Diouf. Some of these investments have already paid off, while for others, the benefit of the doubt remains due to issues of adaptation and time. What is certain, however, is that prying Ordoñez away from Bruges won’t be easy…
As of July 1, neither Francesco Acerbi nor Stefan De Vrij will be part of the Nerazzurri squad. Too old, too worn out by the last grueling seasons, and outside the plans of the coach and management for Inter’s future—despite a present in which both former Lazio players continue to be valued and utilized. On one hand, there is Bisseck’s adaptation to center-back; on the other, an investment that Inter will certainly make between January and next summer. Marotta and Ausilio are considering several names, and among them is Joel Ordoñez, precisely for all the aforementioned qualities. The issue, however, is that dealing with Bruges is never simple: in recent years, the Belgian club has never backed down on transfer fees, and it is unlikely to do so for the Ecuadorian defender, who is a key player for Bruges (already 14 appearances this season) and, above all, extended his contract until 2029 last September. In other words: for less than 25 million, Bruges won’t even consider it. But the deal could… double. Because Aleksandar Stankovic’s future is also on the line—he moved to Bruges last summer and is performing exceptionally well this season. Who knows: perhaps Inter will decide to postpone the return of the son of a former star to the club in order to secure a fast track for Ordoñez. After all, anything is possible in the transfer market…
