Young, powerful, and above all, a player with a bright future: the Ecuadorian represents the ideal investment for Oaktree. And Inter’s management could soon make a move for him, having already had their sights set on him since last summer

Charles De Ketelaere consistently tops Bruges’ list of record transfers. Ardon Jashari follows close behind. They were sold for 37.5 and 36 million euros, respectively. Destination: Milan for both. Common denominator: Milan was their destination, and two grueling negotiations concluded only after 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 approximately 30 million pounds 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 list of top transfer profits by Joel Ordoñez, who is also hypothetically headed to Milan. It’s too early to say for sure, but the interest—this time not from the Rossoneri but from Inter—is definitely there. A young, technically skilled, aggressive defender, but above all one with a bright future and ready to break out. He’s practically the exact profile Inter intends to focus on from now through the coming seasons. In fact, from… yesterday: because Oaktree’s transfer policy is clear—it prohibits deals that are excessively costly in terms of transfer fees and instead mandates long-term investments to be entrusted to Cristian Chivu, waiting to reap the rewards. This is 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 adjustment 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 Inter’s roster. They’re too old, have been pushed too hard over the last few grueling seasons, and don’t fit into the coach’s and management’s plans for Inter’s future—despite the fact that both former Lazio players continue to be valued and utilized in the present. On one hand, there’s Bisseck’s transition 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 because of all the qualities mentioned above. The issue, however, is that negotiating with Bruges is never simple: in recent years, the Belgian club has never backed down when it comes to player sales, and it’s unlikely to do so for the Ecuadorian defender, who is a key player for Bruges (already with 14 appearances this season) and, most importantly, extended his contract through 2029 last September. In other words: for less than 25 million, Bruges won’t even consider it. But the deal could… double in value. That’s because Aleksandar Stankovic’s future is also on the line—he joined Bruges last summer and is performing exceptionally well this season. Who knows: maybe Inter will decide to postpone the return of the young player—who’s following in his father’s footsteps—to secure a fast track for Ordoñez. After all, anything is possible on the transfer market…