Rumoured Liverpool transfer target Joel Ordonez reportedly had dreams of becoming a striker before making the grade as a highly-rated centre-back. The Reds have been strongly linked with a move for Ordonez during January's transfer window.

Liverpool attempted to bolster their defensive options in the summer with a £35million push for Marc Guehi. But that transfer collapsed when Crystal Palace pulled the plug on a deal which would have brought Guehi to Anfield.

Consequently, Giovanni Leoni remained the sole centre-back addition for Liverpool, prompting fresh speculation about another defensive signing. Ordonez, 21, has emerged as a possible target for Liverpool, according to recent reports, with the Club Brugge star catching the eye during his stint in Belgium this season.

• Man City plot Marc Guehi transfer move from under Liverpool's noses amid injury crisis

• Liverpool handed injury boost as forgotten star claims 'hardest part is over'

There have also been claims Ordonez could be snapped-up for around £43million this month, or next summer if a deal can't be agreed before the February 2 deadline. Despite his reputation as a promising central defender, Ordonez's former youth coach Luis Medina has revealed the Ecuador international originally aimed to play up front.

"Joel was a quiet, very thin, silent boy," Medina told Diario Expreso, via ESPN. "He was actually a striker.

"He now might go to Liverpool as a defender. There are things God does that one doesn't understand."

"I remember that Enner scored three goals in the 2014 World Cup and Joel wanted to be a striker who appeared on the television. He was always an attacker.

"He had good acceleration, long legs. He was light and very skinny.

"I felt he could be a great defender, because he was strong in one-on-one situations, positioned himself well, and won duels. He marked well even without having the basics of a defender."

Medina added: "He [Ordonez] was a good striker, but he was better at defending. He told me he wanted to score goals, and I replied that he could prevent them on defence, and scoring goals was too much of a responsibility."

Liverpool have until February 2 to wrap up their transfer dealings, so too their Premier League rivals. After that cut-off, clubs will have to wait until next summer to revamp their respective squads.

The Reds have also been heavily linked with moves for Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo and Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, although both players are now targets for Manchester City this month.

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us, and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.