After discovering Deinner Ordoñez at the Next Generation Trophy in 2023 and eventually writing a scout report in December 2023, I closely monitored his performances and thought it was the perfect time to write an updated version. The conclusion has not changed, as I still believe Deinner Ordoñez has the potential to become a world-class centre-back. After moving to the famous Independiente del Valle youth set up in 2022, Ordoñez has so far played for the under 13’s, under 15’s and under 17’s for the 2019 & 2022 Copa Sudamericana winners. Although Independiente del Valle have not fast-tracked him into the under 19’s or senior team, Ordoñez surprisingly got a call-up for Ecuador U-20 after several defenders were out due to injuries or other reasons. He has gained invaluable experience in this tournament and the future is looking bright for Deinner Ordoñez.
Standing at around 1.86 meters with an average build, Deinner Ordoñez is still expected to grow a few centimetres and will most likely reach 1.90m – 1.95m in the upcoming years. The centre-back is very quick over short and long distances for a player of his age. Ordoñez is an athletic defender who is capable of shifting his body weight and changing directions quickly. Deinner Ordoñez is relatively strong in duels with his back towards the goal and in shoulder-to-shoulder duels but he logically struggled to bully his opponents off the ball in the Sudamericano U-20, playing against players who were 4 or 5 years older than him. However, even at this (Sudamericano U-20) age level, Deinner Ordoñez was very efficient in aerial duels due to his good jumping reach, timing and assertiveness. The Ecuadorian centre-back has a good work-rate, but can have lapses of concentration which is to be expected from a 15-year-old. Another reason for his lapses of concentration is that he has outgrown U-15 level, especially playing in a team that wins their matches comfortably and never gets put under pressure.
The 15-year-old centre-back is right-footed but mostly plays as a left centre-back due to his natural ability to play out of the back with both feet. Even for Ecuador U-20, he was trusted to play as a left centre-back. Mostly playing in a dominant side that plays out from the back, Deinner Ordoñez has a decent to good first touch under pressure, although his lapses of concentration sometimes lead to a poor touch. Ordoñez is confident on the ball and effortlessly plays line-breaking passes with both feet, showcasing both his current and potential ball-playing ability. He picks out the right passes and displays good vision on the ball, which he demonstrated recently in the Adidas Cup (U-16) and Sudamericano (U-20), but the execution of his longer passes is inconsistent as he occasionally mishits his longer passes. Ordoñez sometimes takes on opponents in first-phase possession to play out of pressure but sporadically tends to get the ball stuck under his feet and fails to control the ball, losing the ball and getting himself into trouble. However, the decisions he makes on the ball are consistently good and will get more consistent over time. His casualness and composure on the ball is positive, although his casualness can also lead to dangerous situations in front of the goal when he loses the ball. Deinner Ordoñez also is an offensive threat from set-pieces.
Defensively, Deinner Ordoñez is a proactive defender who likes to step up and engage in duels. The Ecuadorian centre-back defends with authority as he attempts to bully his opponents off the ball in duels with his back towards the goal. Ordoñez steps up with the intent to recover possession and does not stop until he has reached his goal, using his long legs to get around his opponent and intercept the ball. His ruthless defending can lead to rashness, as Ordoñez tends to give away fouls after a reckless tackle. However, more often than not, his ruthless style of defending is effective. Deinner Ordoñez displays excellent defensive positioning. He scans consistently and closes gaps adequately. The Ecuadorian centre-back often is in the right place at the right time, making his defending look easy and effortless. Deinner Ordoñez rarely gets beaten in an important aerial duel in the box, making him an efficient box defender as he regularly positions himself well.
Deinner Ordoñez is one of the few youth players with world-class potential at Independiente del Valle, alongside the likes of Edwin Quintero, Holger Quintero and Justin Lerma. Although, as you would expect from any 15-year-old in the world, he needs to learn and improve in some areas, Deinner Ordoñez’s profile is extremely interesting as he has all the ingredients to become a world-class defender with his physical profile, ball-playing ability and defensive vision. He needs to play regularly for Independiente del Valle U-19 in 2025 and I think, depending on his development, he could make his debut for the first team of Independiente del Valle near the end of 2025 or the beginning of 2026. It is only a matter of time before he will be signed by an elite European club, as he is already (this is an assumption) closely monitored by the biggest European clubs. With that being said, Deinner Ordoñez is a centre-back with world-class potential and will make a big transfer before turning 18.
Target Scouting 