OFFICIAL: Chelsea beat Man Utd to €20m wonderkid

Updated: 18 May 2023 11:06 BST
3 min read

Chelsea have won the race for 16-year-old Ecuadorian wonderkid Kendry Paez, Independiente del Valle have confirmed.

The Blues have long thought to have been in the driving seat for the talented teenager, who was also subjected to interest from Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund.

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Reports had even broken that Paez’s deal was done – Fabrizio Romano stated this was the case in April shortly after the sacking of Graham Potter - but now the transfer is official, with the Ecuador club affirming that the teenager will join the Stamford Bridge club.

PROFILE: Who is Kendry Paez?

Paez is expected to cost Chelsea up to €20 million, though a portion of this will be bonus payments.

Chelsea fans hoping to get a glimpse of the wonderkid will have to be patient, though. Due to FIFA rules, Paez will be unable to join the club until he is 18 – which will not be until the summer of 2025.

It is a deal that echoes the move that Real Madrid have made for Santos wonderkid Endrick, who will not go to Los Blancos until that point.

MORE: 15-year-old Chelsea target Kendry Paez scores on pro debut

Although Chelsea have yet to confirm a deal, Independiente del Valle director Santiago Morales said: “Today, I can say that Kendry Paez, in two years’ time, will go to Chelsea.

“We received offers from Borussia Dortmund and Manchester United, Chelsea were the team that showed the most interest.”

Chelsea reaffirm commitment to youth

Paez’s move to Chelsea simply underlines the club’s focus on youth in the transfer market.

This has been underscored in the last two transfer windows, in which Chelsea have spent more than €600m attracting some of the brightest young talents in world football to the club.

The results, though, have not been immediate. Chelsea presently lie in the lower half of the Premier League standings, and by the time that Paez joins the club permanently, he will hope they have regained their stature as a Champions League side.