Premier League · 2026-09-25 11:01 UTC
Xabi Alonso says Kendry Paez is not part of Chelsea's first-team squad or plans, playing for the U21s instead.
Kendry Paez was widely seen as the next big South American talent when he emerged as the star of Ecuador's national team at 16. The technical ability that convinced Chelsea to sign him three years ago has not vanished; Paez’s left boot is still a tool of beauty and devastation. There are multiple paths laid out ahead of him. Some of them remain bathed in golden light. He only turned 19 in May and no one is writing anyone off. You can understand, though, why some are looking at Paez and starting to ask questions. He has had two loan spells cut short and played the equivalent of just 13 full matches of first-team club football since the end of 2024. That number won’t be rising any time soon. Paez is back at Chelsea but his manager Xabi Alonso said he “is not part of the first team squad, not part of the plans.” For now, he is a Chelsea under-21 player — a Chelsea under-21 substitute, in fact, based on his three appearances so far. He was left out of the latest Ecuador squad, too. This could all be a blip, something to laugh about when Paez is tearing up the global game again at 24 or 25. For now, though, the situation looks stark. 📝 @JackLang 🔗
Source: @TheAthleticFC on X