Who is Kendry Páez? Chelsea agree deal to take Ecuadorian wonderkid to the Premier League

The present isn’t looking great for Chelsea, with manager Graham Potter on his way out the door after only six months following Saturday’s home defeat to Aston Villa, which leaves them in the bottom half of the Premier League table with only 10 games of the season remaining. Good luck to interim boss Bruno Saltor, who has a 12-point gap to make up to the promised land of the top four. However, despite their worries about the here and now, the club have been busy thinking about the future, with Ecuadorian starlet Kendry Páez set to make the move to Stamford Bridge.

Top clubs in for Kendry Páez

Reports have confirmed that the 15-year-old, considered one of the most promising stars in world soccer, has agreed a deal in principle to sign for the Blues, who, much like they did when they added Enzo Fernández to their roster, have beaten off competition from a number of other top clubs, including Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund.

Páez has been on many a shopping list since being named the player of the tournament in last summer’s Next Generation Trophy, to which many of the world’s top clubs sent their youth teams. The midfielder is currently starring at the under-17 South American Championships, which are being held in Ecuador between 30 March and 23 April.

How much will Páez cost Chelsea? When will he move to the Blues?

According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea will pay €20 million, most of which will be add-ons, to Páez’s current club, Independiente del Valle, who have become a force in Ecuadorian soccer in recent years having previously spent most of their existence in the lower divisions.

The teenager won’t be able to move to London until he has turned 18, however, which means he won’t officially join the Blues until the summer of 2025. Until then, Páez will stay at his current club, for whom he scored on his first-team debut back in February. At 15, he became the youngest-ever debutant in the Ecuadorian top division and – by consequence – the youngest goalscorer.

What kind of player is Páez?

The left-footer is known for his supreme technical ability, dribbling skills and eye for goal, which have led to inevitable comparison with Lionel Messi. There’s one main difference, however; Páez is already quite a bit taller.

It certainly sounds as if Chelsea have quite a player on their hands. They could do with him now.