Kendry Paez

The arrival of Kendry Paez to Chelsea has been long anticipated; the Ecuadorian winger signed a contract with the Blues in June 2023 and only just arrived last month, July 2025. He has been sent out to Strasbourg on loan, and many are excited to see what this mercurial youngster can bring to Stamford Bridge.

Paez's best work comes between the lines: receiving on the half-turn, accelerating away from pressure, and threading disguise passes into runners. He’s naturally left-footed but comfortable receiving on either foot; from the right half-space he can slip reverse balls or open his body to shoot. He has been used centrally and on the right at youth and senior levels, with clubs and analysts consistently profiling him as an attacking midfielder with the agility and creativity to tilt matches in the final third. 

Before leaving Ecuador, public stat compilers tracked him as a consistent chance-creator with goal involvement roughly every two to three games as a 16–17-year-old- impressive contextually for senior minutes. Expect incremental end-product in Ligue 1 as he acclimates.

Strasbourg provides a sensible bridge: a league that rewards technicians but punishes loose touches, plus a club environment that should offer up to 2,000 minutes if he adapts quickly. Expect minutes as a right-sided No.10, with license to drift inside. For Chelsea, he profiles as a rotational creator who can raise the tempo and unlock compact blocks; medium-term, he competes for the starting 10/8 role depending on tactical shape and physical development. 

Upside: tier-one chance-creator with double-digit assists potential at peak, if decision-making speeds up and shot selection becomes more selective (arrive in box rather than shoot from range).

Risks: physical load management in a higher-intensity league; learning defensive spacing; and normal variance for teenage creators. His record-setting international start and early senior output justify the hype, but year one in Europe should be framed as adaptation with flashes rather than constant dominance. 

One to watch for Chelsea in the near to immediate future.

EYEFOOTBALL RATING

Potential Ability: 46.5/50

Current Ability: 34/50