Mauricio Pochettino was left a Chelsea gift by Thomas Tuchel and a £150m headache
Chelsea wonderkid Kendry Paez made his senior Ecuador debut on Tuesday, taking his step up to the international stage at the age of just 16. Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino will hope that the youngster mirrors the rapid rise of Barcelona ace Lamine Yamal, who also made a big impact during the international break with Spain.
Yamal has become an overnight sensation in La Liga. The winger was given his full debut by Xavi as a 15-year-old last season, and he has kicked off the current campaign by starting three of Barca’s four matches.
Born in July 2007, the teenager was recently handed a Spain call-up in response to his electric form. Manager Luis de la Fuente brought him on from the bench against Georgia and Yamal rewarded his faith with a goal, before being thrown in from the start against Cyprus last time out.
Chelsea have their own future star who only recently celebrated his 16th birthday, and Paez impressed on his Ecuador debut.
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Making the starting XI as a central midfielder, the talented starlet showed flashes of brilliance against a Uruguay midfield which included the likes of Manuel Ugarte and Federico Valverde.
Ecuador pulled off an impressive result to win the World Cup Qualifier 2-1, with Paez firing in a low cross to assist the winning goal. Other memorable moments included the 16-year-old linking up superbly with fellow Chelsea star Moises Caicedo, and leaving Ugarte on the floor with an athletic run.
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The Blues completed their £17million move for Paez in June this year, although he will not join up with Pochettino’s squad at Stamford Bridge until he turns 18 in the summer of 2025.
The precocious midfielder will therefore stay with Independiente del Valle in Ecuador for the next two seasons. Caicedo cut his teeth at the same club before signing for Brighton in 2021, and he became the most expensive signing in Premier League history upon joining Chelsea this summer.
Paez has so far made 17 first-team appearances for Independiente del Valle, and his role in the side is only set to ramp up as he gains stature and experience at senior level.
Like Yamal, Paez became his country’s youngest-ever player by a huge margin during the international break. Chelsea’s future hope is also the youngest appearance-maker and goalscorer in the Ecuadorian top flight.
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