Attacking midfielder Kendry Paez has finally pulled on a Chelsea shirt, three years after agreeing a move to Stamford Bridge - albeit for the club's Under-21s. Chelsea agreed a £17.27m deal to sign Paez from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle in 2023 when he was 16, but his development has not progressed as quickly as many expected. Now 19, Paez made his first appearance in Chelsea colours for Cobham Next Gen, the club's newly-renamed Under-21 side, as a 12th-minute substitute in a 4-1 win away to Arsenal on Saturday.
It comes after new manager Xabi Alonso said the midfielder was "not in my plans" and Chelsea listed him as an academy player on the club website. Chelsea explored the possibility of a loan move in English football, but Fifa regulations left the club unable to send him overseas after using all six of their available international loan slots. With 27 caps for Ecuador, an appearance at this summer's World Cup and a reputation as one of South America's brightest young talents alongside Blues team-mate Estevao Willian, what has happened to Paez?
Paez is a record breaker and a headline maker. He became the youngest debutant and goalscorer in Ecuadorian top-flight history at the age of 15 before making his debut in the Copa Libertadores, South America's equivalent of the Champions League, later that same season. Later in 2023, aged 16 years and 131 days, he made his second appearance for Ecuador, becoming the second-youngest South American international to feature in World Cup qualifying after Diego Maradona.
A month later, he became the youngest South American to score in a World Cup qualifier in a 2-1 win away to Bolivia. It was understandable, therefore, that Chelsea believed the attacker, who had two international goals and 18 caps when they agreed to sign him, was destined for big things. Chelsea allowed him to train regularly with the first team before he was officially eligible to join the club following his 18th birthday.
They also provided security for Paez, his family and the family of international team-mate Moises Caicedo after violence broke out in Ecuador in early 2024. A few months later, Paez was filmed in a New York strip club while away on international duty. He initially impressed on loan at Chelsea's sister club Strasbourg by winning September's Young Player of the Month award in the French top flight, but then came in for criticism from then-manager Liam Rosenior.
"We expect more, clearly," Rosenior said later that season. "I'm tired of using the excuse of the player's youth." Despite Strasbourg's links to Chelsea through their shared ownership, the loan was cut short after one goal in 21 appearances. Instead, he joined Argentine giants River Plate on a two-year loan spell.
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