Chelsea set to beat up to a dozen Premier League teams in race to sign Ecuadorian midfielder: Reports

Chelsea are reportedly in pole position to sign Independiente del Valle midfielder Kendry Paez, beating a number of Premier League outfits.

Paez, 15, has emerged as one of the most in-demand South American talents over the past six months. He shot to fame after helping his team reach the 2022 Next Generation Trophy final in Salzburg last August.

A left-footed technical operator blessed with flair and dribbling, Paez was recently left out of Ecuador's squad for the 2023 South American Under-20 Championship. He was instead promoted to his boyhood club's first-team and has made the bench in their past two matches.

According to 90min, Paez has popped up on a dozen Premier League clubs' radar, including the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Newcastle United. Brighton & Hove Albion, who are well versed in the Ecuadorian market, are also keeping tabs.

Paez, who plies his trade as an advanced playmaker, has also drawn interest from Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Inter Milan and Atalanta.

However, acclaimed transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has stated that Chelsea are close to finalizing a verbal agreement with Independiente to rope in Paez. The ace would only be able to join the Blues in 2025.

Should the Ecuador Under-17 international join Chelsea in the future, he would be considered a breakthrough prospect, similar to the likes of Carney Chukwuemeka, Andrey Santos and Cesare Casadei.

Chelsea star sheds light on club's struggles

Speaking to GOAL, Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella asserted that his team are struggling due to a host of new arrivals this season. He said:

"It's difficult because we've had a lot of changes, a lot of new players. I think, maybe, this season is the time to build a new era. For us, I think it's very important to play in the Champions League."

Cucurella, who joined the Blues from Brighton & Hove Albion in a deal worth up to £63 million last August, laid down his team's goals, adding:

"The first part of the season was not so good, but now we don't have excuses. We need to train hard, we need to focus on winning games and finishing inside the top four in the Premier League."

The Blues are currently on a four-match winless streak in the Premier League with their last league victory coming against Crystal Palace in January. They are 10th in the table with just 31 points from 23 games.