A year ago
Club director confirms Man Utd offer for Ecuadorian Kendry Paez as summer transfer confirmed
Chelsea beat Manchester United to sign an Ecuadorian angel.
In April, it was widely reported that Chelsea had reached an oral agreement to sign 16-year-old midfielder Kendry Paez, in a deal believed to be worth £17.5m.
However, Paez will not be able to join the Blues until he turns 18 in the summer of 2025.
Independiente del Valle coach Santiago Morales confirmed Chelsea have reached an agreement with one of the brightest stars in South America.
Advertisement
Morales said via Standard Sport:
"Today I can say that Kendry Paez will, in two years, go to Chelsea."
The director added that Paez signed for the Blues against United and Borussia Dortmund. Morales says:
"We have received offers from Borussia Dortmund and Manchester United, with Chelsea being the one showing the most interest."
Paez has caught the eye of Europe's top clubs after being named Player of the Year at the Next Generation Trophy in Austria last year. He was already a first-team member of Independiente, the club with which Brighton signed Moises Caicedo in 2021.
Advertisement
Man Utd hope not to repeat Caicedo's mistake
Man Utd are hoping not to repeat the mistakes of the past, having refused to sign Caicedo for just £4.5m in 2021.
At the time, United and Liverpool were both vying for the midfielder's services, but a transfer was deemed too complicated to complete as it involved a host of intermediaries and agents. , all of which require commission.
Advertisement
It is clear that it is not clear who actually represents Caicedo and who simply wants to make a small amount of money out of the deal. CBS reporter Ben Jacobs tweeted in September:
“Liverpool's interest in Moises Caicedo has been around for a long time when he was at Independiente del Valle.
“The challenge at the time was a complex representational situation with several agencies (including Kancha and PSM) claiming to act on their behalf.
“Although the final fee Brighton paid was low (£4.5m), agency fees were high. It also delayed Liverpool and Manchester United.
Total Comments: 0