-
News
- 19 minutes ago
Kendry Paez is the face of Chelsea's failed project - his career is unravelling
17 Jun 2026 06:32 BST |
6 min read
News
Kendry Paez's stuttering career appears to have suffered a fresh setback following reports that River Plate are looking to cut his loan from Chelsea short.
The 19-year-old was regarded as the biggest talent in South America when Chelsea wrapped up a deal with Independiente del Valle to sign him in 2023. Paez made his senior debut - and netted his first goal - as a 15-year-old, which saw him attract the attention of numerous European giants.
The fact that Chelsea managed to land him was seen as a major coup and a huge statement of intent that they were serious about their new transfer strategy of signing the best young prospects in world football.
Current ETV
Kendry Páez
AM (C), M (CR)
River Plate
Kendry Páez
AM (C), M (CR)
River Plate
ETV Range
€10.7M - €13.1M
Three years on, however, it is fair to say that Chelsea's unorthodox approach has failed - and Paez, who has yet to make an appearance for the Blues, has unwittingly become the face of this failure.
After yet more managerial churn this year, Chelsea have finally accepted their mistake and are planning to sign more experienced players this summer. But it might already be too late for Paez. His promising career is unravelling.
From wonderkid to outcast
Paez's highly-anticipated move to Europe came last year after he turned 18 in the spring. To ease his transition to European football, he was immediately sent to train with BlueCo sister club Strasbourg.
By the time his season-long loan was made official, he had already been training with the team for weeks. It should have given him the best possible preparation to hit the ground running in France.
But this didn't materialise. Paez failed to win the trust of then-coach Liam Rosenior. He was mainly restricted to cameo appearances off the bench and eventually felt the wrath of the Englishman.
"There are no more excuses now that they're getting playing time," Rosenior thundered after a scoreless draw with Lorient in December. "We expect more, clearly. I'm fed up with using the excuse of the players' youth.
"If the players don't follow instructions, no problem, we'll find others who do. At some point, we have to be more demanding about performance. There were several situations that should have given us great opportunities if everyone had followed the positioning instructions.
"It's unacceptable, and it has to change for the second half of the season. I want players who do what they're asked to do on the field."
Neither Rosenior nor Paez would see the second half of the season at Strasbourg, however. The manager took the Chelsea job in January but only lasted until April, while Paez was recalled by the Blues.
The teenager departed Strasbourg with the grim record of 718 minutes played across 21 appearances and one goal scored. Shortly after his exit, L'Equipe reported that his struggles in Alsace had not just been down to him being a poor tactical fit or failing to settle.
Paez was accused of having a major attitude problem. He reportedly left a poor impression on Rosenior in his first few training sessions shortly after he arrived at Strasbourg in the spring, but Chelsea decided to loan him to the French club anyway despite the coach's apprehension.
Accusations of a lack of professionalism were frequently levelled at Paez internally at Strasbourg, with the youngster spending much of his time either at Disneyland Paris or in nightclubs. This was the continuation of a worrying trend.
In early 2024, a scandal had erupted in Ecuador when Paez was spotted in a New York strip club with two of his teammates. He was a minor at the time, but that didn't stop him from allegedly getting caught partying in a nightclub again just a few months later.
Chelsea recalled him in January but did not keep him. Instead, they decided to send him back to South America in hopes that a more familiar environment could help him get back on track.
He joined River Plate on an 18-month loan, but it again didn't take long for questions to arise. Paez did not make his first start for the Argentine giants until March. Since then, only two more have followed. He has played 461 minutes and scored once.
He missed a penalty in an Apertura playoff penalty shootout against San Lorenzo in May, after which he was heavily criticised in the local press for lacking mental fortitude. Consequently, he didn't even make the matchday squad for the next two games and only featured briefly in the final loss to Belgrano.
His decline has also been evident for Ecuador. After regularly starting as a 16-year-old, he has increasingly found himself relegated to the bench. He has only made three starts for his country since October 2024 and was an unused substitute in Ecuador's World Cup opener against the Ivory Coast.
For months, the Argentine press has been wondering if Chelsea will recall him this summer, but TyC Sports now reports that the decision has actually been made by River Plate: they want to get rid of Paez.
New coach Eduardo Coudet has seen enough and does not believe that the 19-year-old should be part of the squad going forward. It is a damning indictment of Paez's development - or lack thereof.
Paez was Ecuador's golden boy when he joined Chelsea, but now he is scrambling to save his career at Stamford Bridge before he has even made an appearance for the club.
If he does indeed return to West London this summer, then it would not be surprising if Chelsea decided to cut their losses, given how they operate in the market.
Wanting to sign youngsters is all well and good, but the example of Paez shows that it is a major risk. You simply can't guarantee that promising 15, 16 or 17-year-olds develop as expected, especially if they are exposed to stardom without proper guidance.
Paez can still get his career back on track - he is still just 19 after all - but recent developments are incredibly worrying.
Related stories:
Build The FIFA World Cup 2026™: LEGO© releases stunning football-inspired collection
Chelsea Transfer News Today: Blues eye ex-Man Utd wonderkid from Real Madrid to replace Cucurella
Transfer Rumours: Man Utd enter Barcola race as Barcelona rival Arsenal for Kroupi
Premier League summer transfers 2026: All the Done Deals
The FootballTransfers app
Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.
The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:
