Chelsea have confirmed the signing of Kendry Paez with the talented youngster set to move to Stamford Bridge in 2025, when he turns 18. The Ecuadorian wonderkid is one of the most talented young players in South America and will cost Todd Boehly €20million (£17.3m).
A statement from the Blues read: "The Ecuadorian, who will join Chelsea after his 18th birthday, has already built a reputation in South America as one of the brightest and most creative young talents around. Thanks to his combination of skilful dribbling along with the vision and technique to open up defences with his passing.
"Paez caught the eye by finding the net on his senior debut for his club this year, becoming the youngest debutant and scorer in the Ecuadorian top flight. He has six senior appearances to his name this season in addition to making his continental debut in a 2-1 Copa Libertadores win over Corinthians at the start of May."
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Paez becomes Mauricio Pochettino's first signing at Chelsea as the Argentine prepares to officially begin his role as manager on July 1. The Blues made their first move in February after the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City were all said to be scouting the teenager.
Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid were also interested, but Stamford Bridge will be the new home of Paez. The Ecuadorian talent joins seven teenagers that have been signed since Boehly completed his £4billion takeover at SW6; Omari Hutchinson from Arsenal; Zac Sturge from Brighton; Gabriel Slonina from Chicago Fire, Cesare Casadei from Inter; Carney Chukwuemeka from Aston Villa, Malo Gusto from Lyon and Andrey Santos from Vasco da Grama.
But, as many Chelsea supporters will be wondering, who is Kendry Paez?
Who is Kendry Paez?
Born in 2007, Ray Kendry Paez Andrade has made a name for himself in the youth team at Independiente del Valle. The left-footed midfielder has made six senior appearances at club level, scoring one goal.
There have been claims that the teenager will 'smash' the Ecuador transfer record currently held by the deal that saw Moises Caicedo move to Brighton in 2021. Last year, Paez was the Player of the Tournament in the Next Generation Trophy and has since been the subject of a big move to Europe.
According to El Universo, the midfielder scored 39 goals in 106 games from 2018 and 2022 and has been a regular throughout del Valle's youth teams. But it isn't just at club level where he has impressed, with him already receiving a call-up to the under-17s squad - where he has three goal contributions in three games.
He continued his impressive upwards trajectory during the U20 World Cup in Argentina. The attacking midfielder featured in all three of Ecuador's group games, scoring and assisting in the 9-0 win over Fiji, becoming the youngest player ever to score in the competition.
Does he fit Chelsea's transfer strategy?
Quite simply, yes. As mentioned above, the number of young players signed in the last six months demonstrates the club's desire to prepare for what the future holds. It's been labelled as the 'Vision 2030' model - Paez will only be 23 by then.
Speaking on the Blues' strategy, director of football development and operations Neil Bath said in June: "It involves our board and owner, who are keen to hear our innovative and creative ideas, which will see us kick on for the next five to 10 years.
"I can assure people that we will not rest on our laurels of having boys [from the academy] involved in Champions League success. It's important to set out what we are doing in the short-term, but also to have a long-term vision and direction of where we want our academy to be in the future. That is always the main focus."
And, technical director Christopher Vivell said: "Chelsea are building the most exciting project in global football and I'm extremely proud to be joining the club. There is so much potential for the club to continue to succeed, develop and grow.
"Under the new ownership, Graham Potter and the broader sporting team, there is a clear and sustainable philosophy underpinned by performance analysis, data and innovation. I am looking forward to playing a part in that."
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