Chelsea have reportedly reached an agreement to sign 15-year-old Independiente del Valle midfielder Kendry Paez for a fee of £17.5 million. The Premier League club are unable to register Paez until he turns 18, however they are exploring ways of securing a pre-transfer agreement. This has been confirmed by Independiente del Valle’s general manager, Santiago Morales, who stated that the deal is ‘practically arranged’.
Paez has been tracked by several clubs across Europe, including Barcelona, Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Manchester United, and is regarded as one of the brightest young talents in South America having made his first-team debut for Independiente del Valle earlier this year. He also scored twice for Ecuador at the South American Under-17 Championship, which ended last week.
Morales believes that Paez will be a great ambassador for all Ecuadorian players, and that he will take advantage of the tournaments he attends to show off his talent. He also believes that this transfer will be the first of many more to come.