Who is Kendry Paez? Meet Chelsea's record-breaking wonderkid who has been tipped to surpass Lionel Messi

Chelsea's teenage star Kendry Paez is one of the hotter prospects in world football. Signed from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle in the summer of 2023, the Blues reportedly shelled out a hefty £17.27m for the then-15-year-old.

Paez, capable of playing both as a No. 10 and a right-winger is a left-footed operator who will turn 17 on May 4, 2024. His contract with Chelsea will come into effect from the 2025-26 season, i.e., when Paez comes of age (turns 18).

As per Give Me Sport, Paez was listed in NXGN's top 50 wonderkids in world football. He made his professional debut at the age of 15 years, nine months, and 21 days when he represented Independiente del Valle and also scored in the same match. Paez made history in that game, by becoming the youngest debutant and the youngest goal-scorer in the history of the Ecuadorian club.

Paez then led the Ecuadorian U-17 side to second place in the South American championship, where he registered two goals and six assists in eight appearances. Back then, Independiente del Valle's president Santiago Morales had said that Manchester United, Chelsea, and Borussia Dortmund had made offers for the youngster.

Former Ecuador international praised Kendry Paez a few years ago, predicting him to be a better player than Lionel Messi. He had said (via Give Me Sport):

"He has the potential to be better than Lionel Messi and Neymar, but much will depend on him and the people around him. He is only 15, and it isn’t common to see players at that age with such an enormous personality. Players like him aren’t born every day, and it is, therefore, difficult to compare him with anyone because that puts them under pressure when pressure is what we should avoid."

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Records broken by Chelsea's Kendry Paez

• The youngest player in the history of Ecuador - 16 years, four months, and eight days - made his debut against Uruguay on September 12, 2023.
• Youngest player to score South American Zone World Cup qualifier - a few weeks after September 12, 2023, against Bolivia.
• Youngest player to score in U-20 World Cup - at 16 years and 22 days when he scored against Fiji.

The 16-year-old Kendry Paez is still playing for Independiente del Valle, subject to an impending Chelsea transfer in the summer of 2025. Paez has registered three goals and three assists in 11 games for the senior team in 770 minutes of football.