Kendry Paez reveals he is already excited to play with ‘special’ Enzo Fernandez at Chelsea

The 16-year-old will leave Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle and move to Stamford Bridge when he turns 18 in May 2025, with the deal potentially rising to more than £17.5million if performance-related add-ons are met.

Paez was called up to the senior Ecuador squad for friendlies against Bolivia and Costa Rica in the United States later this month, though will now not be involved after failing to get a visa to enter the club.

The midfielder is viewed as an incredibly exciting talent in South America and while that brings a huge level of expectation, Paez insisted that is not something that impacts him as he looked ahead to those he wants to play alongside in a Chelsea shirt when he arrives in the Premier League.

“‘I don’t feel pressure, I am focused on Independiente, on the Libertadores and trying to continue playing in the best way,” Paez told ESPN SportsCenter.

“To get there I have to keep working, be focused on learning. It will be something special to share things with players like Enzo, with other special ones.

“It’s wonderful, but now I’m focused on Independiente del Valle. There are two years to go, I know it goes by quickly and I’ll keep doing my thing here.

“I’m Kendry, I’m going to give the name to Ecuador. I’m going to continue being me, I don’t want to be compared to [Lionel] Messi. He’s very special, he’s the best. I’m 16-years-old, they cannot compare me with him, because I’m in a process.”