Money talks! Liverpool strengthens in the winter transfer window with a total of £43 million spent to sign South America's top defensive line defender.

In this summer transfer window, Liverpool spent €31 million to acquire 18-year-old Italian center-back Leoni. Now, the Italian defender has just turned 19 on December 21 while sidelined by injury. Due to Leoni’s serious injury, Liverpool has reinforced their defense during the winter window.

According to reports from British media such as The Mirror and The Sun, Liverpool is about to sign 21-year-old Ecuadorian center-back Odonez from Club Brugge, with a transfer fee (including add-ons) reaching £43 million.

Odonez, aged 21 and standing 1.88 meters tall, can play as a center-back or right-back. Valued at €28 million by Transfermarkt, he is the second most expensive player at Club Brugge, with a contract running until 2029. Odonez is a key figure in Brugge’s defense, having appeared in 15 Belgian Pro League matches, starting 12 times and scoring once; he also started 6 UEFA Champions League games.

Odonez is a mainstay of South America’s strongest defensive line in World Cup qualifiers. Ecuador ranks second in the CONMEBOL qualifiers, conceding only 5 goals in 18 matches, half the 10 goals conceded by Argentina and Paraguay, who are tied for second fewest goals allowed. Ecuador’s defense is packed with talent: besides Odonez, soon to join Liverpool, there is Paris Saint-Germain’s key defender Pacho, Arsenal’s new signing defender Inkapie, and Chelsea’s midfield anchor and top defensive midfielder Kaysedo. For the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, Ecuador will be grouped with Ivory Coast, Curaçao, and Germany, possibly making Ecuador the strongest team in the group competing with Germany for first place.