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Kendry Paez deal insights – Chelsea paid less with Independiente keeping 15% sell-on rights

Independiente insist Chelsea paid less to sign Kendry Paez

Chelsea have completed the signing of Independiente del Valle wonderkid Kendry Paez, but the figures involved in the deal are not as accurate as reports have suggested.

That’s according to Independiente general manager Santiago Morales, who insists the Blues have paid less than the reported €20 million for the Ecuadorian prodigy.

Morales said (via ESPN): “For what the country lives, I would not dare to give the amounts of the transfer of Kendry Paez to Chelsea. But they are not the €20m that are spoken – it is a smaller amount.”

He refused to divulge details of the transfer but revealed an agreement was reached for Independiente to keep 15% of the player’s sports rights.

Paez is widely reported as one of the most eye-catching talents to come out of South America after turning the heads of supporters with his exceptional dribbling skills and all-round style of play.

The teenager scored on his senior debut for Independiente, making him the youngest debutant and scorer in the Ecuadorian top flight.

He then helped his country progress to the knockout stage in the Under-20 World Cup, scoring once and setting up a further three before they were eliminated by South Korea.

FIFA regulations forbid players younger than 18 to formally switch continents, so the 16-year-old will remain with his boyhood club before joining Chelsea after his 18th birthday in 2025.


Chelsea beat Borussia Dortmund and Manchester United to Paez’s signature, with the prospect deemed one of the most sought-after in world football.

Paez is naturally a central midfielder but is equally adept at playing as a winger, and his undoubted talent was recognised on the global stage at the 2022 Next Generation Trophy. 

Independiente have produced some of Ecuador’s top talents, including Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo, who is also a priority target for Chelsea this summer.

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