Who is Kendry Paez? Age, previous clubs and statistics as Chelsea ‘agree’ £17.5m deal for Ecuadorian wonderkid

Chelsea continue to be bold in the transfer market despite their recent struggles.

Graham Potter may be no more in West London, but the Blues are continuing to plan for their future after two transfer windows of huge spending. Chelsea have been signing younger talents on long contracts as they look to their future, and they have continued that trend by agreeing a deal to sign Ecuadorian wonderkid Kendry Paez.

Paez will not arrive this year nor next, still not old enough to be signed as a professional player, but he will join in 2025, and here we run you through what you need to know about the youngster.

Who is Kendry Paez?

Kendry Paez is an Ecuadorian footballer currently playing for Independiente del Valle.

Paez is a midfielder who is currently 15 years of age. The Ecuadorian turns 16 this May.

Career and playing style

Paez says he takes inspiration from Gonzalo Plaza and Lionel Messi, and he does boast an eyee-catching dribbling style.

He has represented a number of clubs at youth level, including Barcelona SC, Emelec and Patria, joining current club Independiente earlier this year. Despite his youth, he has already made two senior appearances for the club. At international level, he has made five appearances for Ecuador under-17s, scoring twice.

Paez caught the eye after being named the outstanding player at the 2022 Next Generation Trophy tournament in Austria.

The ‘deal’

According to a number of reports, Chelsea now have a verbal agreement in place to sign Paez once the midfielder turns 18.

It’s claimed the deal will be worth £17.5million if performance-related clauses are met. The required paperwork has not yet been completed, but Chelsea are said to have struck the verbal agreement, beating Manchester United and others to the deal. It’s claimed the Blues are hoping to secure loan football in Europe for Paez by the time he arrives at Stamford Bridge.