Chelsea has completed the signing of Ecuadorian wonder-kid Kendry Paez from Independiente del Valle. With only a contract left to sign, the Blues will welcome the teenager to the club in 2026 when he turns 18.
Chelsea have agreed a deal for Kendry Paez from Independiente del Valle. Package could rise to €20m, as per @FabrizioRomano. Will be a record for a 15-year-old.
Fee seen as "eye-watering" by rivals. Dortmund were in race but couldn't match package.🇪🇨 pic.twitter.com/icHmEe3N5b
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) April 2, 2023
Manchester United and Manchester City were interested in the midfielder, while Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid were also interested. With the signing of Paez, Chelsea has furthered their efforts to attract the best young talent to the club.
The 15-year-old attacking midfielder is considered one of the most promising football stars and has agreed on a deal in principle to sign for the Blues. This is much like they did when they added Enzo Fernández to their roster. Paez was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador’s second-largest city. His affiliation with Independiente del Valle began when he was a youngster. Paez debuted for Ecuador’s under-17s in 2022, scoring three goals in seven appearances.
Chelsea has previously signed under-21 players such as Malo Gusto, Carney Chukwuemeka, Andrey Santos, David Datro Fofana, Gabriel Slonina, and Cesare Casadei.
