Who is Kendry Paez? The 16-year-old record-breaker Chelsea have signed for €20m

Jacque Talbot

Updated: 13 Oct 2023 14:55 BST
4 min read

Chelsea have beaten a host of Europe's top clubs to the signing of teenage wonderkid Kendry Paez, with the Ecuadorian agreeing to sign for the Blues in 2025 for an astonishing fee of €20 million.

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The 16-year-old has been scouted by Chelsea for several months and they faced competition from Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund for his signature.

But Independiente del Valle revealed this summer that the midfielder will be heading to Stamford Bridge, with club director Santiago Morales saying: "Today, I can say that Kendry Paez, in two years’ time, will go to Chelsea."

The move aligns with Chelsea's recent transfer policy of signing the best young talents in world football and they may have already made a major coup with Paez's arrival after he broke into the first team for club and country.

But just who is this South American sensation?

What position does Paez play in?

Paez is an attack-minded player that typically plays behind a striker or off the flank.

As a left-footed player, he likes to cut inside onto his stronger foot from the right wing position.

How good is Paez?

The Ecuadorian is still a very young and raw talent, but the early signs are incredibly promising - hence why Chelsea are willing to fork out such a large fee for a 16-year-old.

Paez is described as a 'fearless dribbler' and is said to have taken inspiration from Lionel Messi, although he has earned the nickname 'Di Maria' at Independiente due to his similar playstyle to the winger.

He was introduced into the Independiente first-team ahead of the current season and has already notched his first senior goal for the club - in a 3-1 win over Mushuc Runa SC on the opening day of the campaign.

Furthermore, Paez has already impressed at international level for Ecuador's youth teams and recently made his debut for the senior side, becoming the second-youngest South American cap ever behind Diego Maradona.

He managed two goals and six assists in eight appearances at the U17 South American Championships earlier this year. Against Fiji at the U20 World Cup in Argentina, Paez became the youngest-ever player to score in the competition.

He then made his Ecuador debut in September 2023 before netting against Bolivia the following month to become the youngest player ever to score in a FIFA World Cup qualifier.

Chelsea are no strangers to Independiente players, with Moises Caicedo having come through the Ecuadorian's academy too and featuring alongside Paez for Ecaudor, assisting his debut goal.

What clubs are interested in Paez?

Man Utd, Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea were the three clubs who expressed the most urgent desire to sign Paez, with the Red Devils keen to avoid making a similar mistake to when they lost out on Moises Caicedo to Brighton & Hove Albion.

© ProShots - Brighton signed Moises Caicedo from Independiente

However, that has happened, with Chelsea securing a €20m deal for the services of Paez.

When does Paez's contract expire?

The length of Paez's contract at Independiente is unknown as he is just 16 years old. He will likely be given a long contract when he officially joins Chelsea, in keeping with their recent policy on contract lengths.