Who is Kendry Páez? The 16-year-old Chelsea signing who could be the next Ángel Di María

Signed for €20m 

Chelsea have signed one of the biggest attacking talents on the planet. The Premier League club announced the transfer on Monday. Only 16, Kendry Páez is already a regular for Copa Sudamercana winners Independiente del Valle, and it appears that he has now decided to move to Stamford Bridge. That transfer, however, will not be completed until 2025, when he turns 18.

The contracts have now been signed. According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea will pay around €20 million for the 16-year-old, with most of the fee being structured as bonus payments. Once completed, the transfer will break the Ecuadorian Serie A record set by Bryan Angulo, who was sold for €5.8m to Mexican club Cruz Azul in 2019. Also in the top three are Premier League stars Moisés Caicedo (€5m) and future Frankfurt defender Willian Pacho (€5.6m). But Páez, who recently guided Ecuador to a second-place finish in the U17 South American Championship, will likely overshadow all those players soon.

Páez’s recent market value update also underlines his status as one of the most talented players on the planet. The attacking midfielder received a starting market value of €3m, and in the under-17 category there are only ten players worldwide with a higher market value. Páez is level with Bayern Munich talent Paul Wanner and Jobe Bellingham, the brother of English midfielder Jude—but both those players are already 17.

For a record fee: Chelsea set to sign Kendry Páez 

With the market value in mind, the question has to be asked, why are Chelsea willing to pay €20m for a 15-year-old? “It is 100% due to his potential and because the Ecuadorian market has been growing so quickly,” South American expert and host of the Tactical Manager YouTube channel Filippo Silva said to Transfermarkt. “They have been doing a tremendous job in Ecuador. Plus, he is still cheaper than comparable Brazilian talent. For example, he is just as highly rated as Endrick but will cost just 1/3 of the price (Real Madrid paid €35m for the Brazilian but including bonuses, that deal can grow to €72m).”

Transfermarkt Area Manager and South America expert Samuel Vázquez Rivas concurs with Silva. “In Ecuador, he is the special one,” Rivas said. “Only 15, and he is already the most valuable player in the Serie A. There is no doubt that he is the Ecuadorian player with the biggest future.” 

It is that future that Chelsea are banking on with this transfer. Furthermore, the Premier League club were not the only club interested in the attacking midfielder who has scored one goal in four appearances for Independiente’s senior team this season and five goals in 13 games for Ecuador’s U17 squad. Several clubs, including Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund, were also interested, and that interest  drove up the price. Then there is the fact that Chelsea, under American owner Todd Boehly have the tendency to overpay to secure a talent ahead of the competition. 

Kendry Páez: Tremendous talent – but Chelsea move also a risk 

“I do, however, wonder whether Kendry joining Chelsea was the best move,” Silva said. “The club is a mess, and there is a risk that he could join their loan army. Nonetheless, I think he has a bright future.” In fact, his tremendous talent could make Páez a success despite moving to a club that finds itself in a very difficult situation on and off the field. “He is a lefty attacking midfielder; he has all the technical tools and is fairly athletic for his age,” Silva added. “Which is why he is capable of playing with grown man already.” 

Talking to experts about Páez, one name that is mentioned as a comparable is Argentine winger Ángel di María. “Páez is talented, with a great technique, great one-v-one, and he likes to create magic whenever he can,” Rivas said. “Despite his small size, his influence in attack is transcendental, and he manages to destroy opposing defenses, at least in his youth categories.” Another aspect that gets highlighted is his ability to produce from set pieces and playing at the center of the park at ease. 

The question then is, what is Páez’s ceiling? “Páez will probably be remembered as that rare talent rarely seen in Ecuador,” Rivas said. “I do want to caution, though, it is very difficult to say how far he can actually go in Europe, but considering that Ecuadorian players tend to be more physical and robust, there is a good chance he could succeed.” Perhaps the only question is, is Chelsea the club, who can ultimately develop Páez into a superstar? Recent transfers make that doubtful, but 2025 is a long way away, and there is a good chance that the Chelsea project will eventually be on the right track.

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