Three years after Chelsea agreed a £17.27m deal to sign him from Ecuadorian club Independiente del Valle, attacking midfielder Kendry Paez has finally worn a Chelsea shirt — though only for the Under-21 side.

Now 19, Paez came on as a 12th-minute substitute for Cobham Next Gen, Chelsea's newly-renamed Under-21 outfit, in a 4-1 win away to Arsenal on Saturday. The appearance marked a modest milestone for a player whose career trajectory has stuttered far below the heights once predicted for him.

A record-breaker with a complicated past

Paez arrived at Chelsea with a remarkable résumé. At 15, he became the youngest debutant and goalscorer in Ecuadorian top-flight history. He then made his Copa Libertadores debut in that same season — South America's equivalent of the UEFA Champions League.

In late 2023, aged 16 years and 131 days, he became the second-youngest South American to appear in World Cup qualifying, behind only Diego Maradona. A month later, he became the youngest South American to score in a World Cup qualifier, netting in a 2-1 win over Bolivia.

Chelsea, convinced they had signed one of the continent's most exciting young talents — alongside Blues team-mate Estevao Willian — allowed Paez to train with the first team ahead of his official registration following his 18th birthday.

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