Kendry Paez, a 16-year-old from Chelsea, became the second-youngest South American international after Diego Maradona when he played for Ecuador’s senior team for the first time at the age of 16.

If there is a young player with high potential in the world, there is a good possibility Chelsea’s network of talent scouts is already aware of him.

That understanding was one of the reasons they were able to sign Ecuadorian record-breaking midfielder Kendry Paez from Independiente de Valle in June in a deal for roughly £17 million when he was only 16 years old.

Despite the fact that he has yet to wear a Chelsea shirt because he cannot legally join until after his 18th birthday in May 2025, acquiring his signature early from IDV – the same club that delivered his future teammate Moises Caicedo – is already looking like a wise move.

Paez, dubbed Di Maria at IDV due to his physical resemblance to Argentina’s World Cup-winning winger, a fellow left footer, has made etching his name into the record books a pleasant habit.

And a number of his accomplishments thus far indicate that his label as arguably the best player Ecuador has ever produced is not exaggerated.

Kendry Paez (left) made his debut for the Ecuadorian national team on Tuesday night

In his first game for the national team, the defender played with Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo (left).

In February, when he was 15, Paez was the youngest player to play in and score in Ecuador’s top league. In May, he was the youngest player to score in the history of the Under-20s World Cup.

And there was more on Tuesday night. He played his first game for Ecuador against Uruguay. He was the youngest player to ever play for Ecuador and the second-youngest South American to play for any team, after a certain Maradona.

Playing with Caicedo, who would later join Chelsea, he showed no nerves and helped set up a goal.

“Everyone in Ecuador is really glad for him,” IDV’s head of school, Andoni Bombin, told Mail Sport.

“They know that if he does well, Ecuador will also do well.”

“I think Chelsea knows that this is an investment and a good idea by signing him.

“If I were a club, I’d do the same thing. There is a big fight going on between all the clubs in the market right now. You need to choose the ability right away.

“If you don’t do that, someone else will.” Now is the time to try to find talented people and bring them with you, even if you have to wait two years.

“You have to put money into it and bet on this [talent], so I think the decision is the right one.”

During the summer transfer window, Paez made his move to Chelsea in a transaction that was worth £17 million.

Paez became a member of IDV when he was 11 years old and rose to broader f a m e after impressing in the 2022 Copa Mitad del Mundo tournament that was hosted by his club in July of last year. Paez helped their Under 18s team win the championship by scoring two goals in the match’s decisive match.

“That was the moment where many European clubs saw him and identified the talent,” said Bombin. “That was the moment where many European clubs saw him.”

Paez was selected player of the Next Generation Trophy competition at RB Salzburg the following month. The event featured teams from all across Europe, and his performances sparked an influx of offers from clubs all over the continent. The tournament was hosted by RB Salzburg.

By that point, members of the recruitment team for Chelsea, including Paul Winstanley, Laurence Stewart, Joe Shields, Kyle Macaulay, and Christopher Vivell, who was also working at the club at the time, were familiar with Paez.

And with a number of them having their own links to IDV, the pace at which Chelsea were able to act allowed them beat the competition, which included the majority of England’s largest teams, and secure a deal for Paez.

Paez, a versatile player who can play on the wing or, more recently, in the middle of the field, drew the attention of Chelsea with his uncommon combination of remarkable technical and athletic qualities.

His move up to the first team of IDV occurred at the beginning of this year after he demonstrated to manager Martin Anselmi that he was mature enough to handle the increased responsibility by demonstrating his work ethic off the ball in addition to his abilities on the field.

After the 16-year-old’s outstanding performance in their game against Uruguay, his coaches heaped praise on him.

Bombin, who came to IDV from Athletic Bilbao in February, commented as follows: “When I joined, I heard about him, and everyone at the club, all of them say the same thing – ‘he’s a talent.'”

When you watch him play, you’ll see that everything around him becomes simpler. Because he enjoys being responsible for things and has a good understanding of what needs to be done to orient the ball and the game, he is always present during the crucial moments of the game. He has a good understanding of what needs to be done to orient the ball and the game. I believe that it is particularly essential for a player who is still young.

The mindset that Paez possesses is equally as important. Bombin recalls seeing how a 15-year-old Paez was accepted in the dressing room of IDV’s first-team and how he absorbed all the instruction received as ‘they taught him what he needed to be in order to be a really successful player.’

Bombin argues that one illustration of this is Paez’s labor done away from the ball.

“He will continue to exert the same amount of effort, go to the pressure, and then return.” ‘He gets himself organized in order to assist in getting the team ready for the defensive phase,’ he stated.

Also noteworthy is the fact that his move to Chelsea has had no discernible impact on him.

He is not considering thoughts along the lines of “oh, now I am a star” or “I am a top player now.”

Before and after Chelsea enters his life, his behavior is completely typical and unaffected by any outside influence whatsoever. He continues to go to school, prepares himself by working online with his teachers and classmates, and maintains the same relationships he had before with the people around him. He is aware that he is developing and that in order to play at the highest level possible at this point—we are talking about Europe and a top club—he needs to take the appropriate steps.’

The days that followed Paez’s arrival to Chelsea as a signing player provided additional evidence of how level-headed he continues to be and how much he is already being looked up to in his native country.

Bombin shared his experience, saying, “I was watching a Serie B match and he was there watching his teammates, because our second team was playing.”

The commentator said that he “could see all the kids in the stadium going close to him and [screaming] ‘hey, it’s Kendry Paez, it’s Kendry Paez.'”

When he turns 18 in May 2025, the young player will officially join Chelsea.

“It was great. The kids, who are from Ecuador, are really excited about this because I think they look up to him. They want something like that to happen to them as well. People are happy about what’s happening.’

For the next couple of years, they will be able to see Paez up close. Bombin added, “He’s going to play at the top level in the Copa Libertadores and fight for the league, so we are a top club.”

“We have a great team, and Kendry will learn a lot from this competition.” In these two years, he has time to train his body and mind, learn English, and do everything else he needs to do to get to Chelsea as soon as possible and start playing.

So far, it looks like Paez will be worth the wait for Chelsea.