Chelsea are reportedly close to finalising the signing of South American prodigy Deinner Ordonez, with Fabrizio Romano providing the decisive update.
The Blues have moved quickly to secure the highly rated youngster — a player who had also caught the attention of Liverpool, according to the Daily Mail. Journalist Lewis Steele even noted that academy scouts view Ordonez as “the best talent of his age group in all of South America,” as reported by Empire of the Kop.
Romano delivered his trademark announcement:
“EXCLUSIVE: Deinner Ordonez to Chelsea, here we go! Full agreement reached today for the 16-year-old defensive talent to join the #CFC project. Independiente del Valle have accepted all conditions, with Chelsea beating three major European clubs to his signature. The Ecuadorian will arrive in January 2028.”
Chelsea’s ownership group has made it a clear strategy to aggressively recruit the world’s top emerging prospects, and Ordonez becomes the latest addition to this long-term vision at Stamford Bridge.
Liverpool, who were tracking the Ecuadorian wonderkid, may again feel disappointed as Chelsea continue to outmaneuver rivals in the youth market — much like they did with Estevão Willian, Kendry Páez, Aaron Anselmino, and several others.
While Ordonez won’t be seen in Chelsea’s first team for a few years, the club’s confidence in his potential is obvious. If he weren’t highly valued internally, he would likely have been placed at their affiliate club Strasbourg rather than being earmarked directly for Chelsea’s long-term development plan.
