Kendry Páez: The 17-Year-Old Chelsea Paid £17m for Before He Could Travel

Páez came through Independiente del Valle's academy in Sangolquí, the youth pipeline that has produced Moises Caicedo, Piero Hincapié and Gonzalo Plata. He made his senior debut for IDV in February 2023 at 15 years and 9 months, the youngest in Ecuadorian top-flight history. By the end of his only full senior season (2023) he had played 35 matches, scored 5 goals, and helped IDV win the 2023 Copa Sudamericana.

Ecuador head coach Felix Sánchez capped him at senior level in October 2023 against Bolivia in a 2-1 World Cup qualifier — the substitute appearance made him the youngest Ecuador international ever. The following month his goal against Bolivia (this time from the start) at 16 years and 5 months gave him the youngest-goal-scorer record. Ecuadorian football journalism described the November 2023 match as "the night the Caicedo succession plan became official."

Chelsea agreed Páez's transfer in June 2023, with the announcement public despite his 16-year-old status because the deal was structured as a forward agreement: his IDV contract continued in Quito until he turned 18 in May 2025, at which point he physically arrived at Cobham. The reported fee was £17 million guaranteed plus £3 million in performance-based add-ons.

Páez joined Chelsea's first-team setup in May 2025 and made his senior Chelsea debut in pre-season. Enzo Maresca used him initially as a substitute number-10 option behind Cole Palmer. The full integration into Chelsea's Premier League rotation is expected across 2025-26 and 2026-27. His Transfermarkt value sits at around £45m as of mid-2026.