Chelsea have beaten top European clubs to the signature of 15-year-old midfield wonderkid Kendry Paez.

According to a report by Football Insider, Chelsea have agreed on a deal to sign 15-year-old central midfielder Kendry Paez. The Independiente del Valle midfielder was on the radar of quite a few big clubs from across Europe. But as per the reports, the Blues have won the race for the Ecuador Under-17 star.

The west London club have agreed on a deal of around £20 million for the youngster. However, the fee could rise depending on his performance until he turns 18. Chelsea might have agreed on a deal for Paez but he cannot join them until turns 18 in May 2025 due to FIFA rules.

The 15-year-old’s move to the Blues is subject to him getting a work permit. Paez was recently promoted to Independiente del Valle’s first team. He became the youngest-ever player in the Ecuadorian Serie A when he made his senior team debut for the club. The teenager marked his debut with a goal.

Meanwhile, Chelsea have spent a fortune on acquiring young talented footballers from across the globe. Their new co-owner Todd Boehly wants to build a team for the future. And, as a result, he is trying to sign youngsters who have high potential.

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The London-based club believes that Kendry Paez can be a great signing for the future. And, are ready to pay the £20 million for the 15-year-old. However, it will be interesting to see if gets the work permit to play in England when he turns 18.

The Blues hope that Paez will make it into the Ecuador senior team within the next few years which will help him with the work permit. According to the rules, a non-European player can move to England when he has 15 points under the FA’s post-Brexit system.

In the FA’s post-Brexit system points are calculated on the basis of international caps or appearances made in elite domestic or continental competition. If the player fails to meet the criteria after turning 18, the west London club will look to send him out on loan somewhere in Europe for a couple of seasons for Paez to become eligible to feature in England.

Meanwhile, Manchester United and Liverpool also had their eyes on the 15-year-old. The Merseyside club who have been struggling in the ongoing season are looking to add young blood to their squad ahead of next season. Jurgen Klopp was keen on adding Paez to his ranks but it seems they have suffered a major blow at the hands of rivals, Chelsea.

As for United, they need to upgrade on players like Scott McTominay and Fred in the coming months.

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