Chelsea signed just the player Mauricio Pochettino needs – but he can’t make debut until 2025
Kendry Paez possesses all the desired qualities that Mauricio Pochettino seeks at Chelsea. However, due to circumstances, the talented young player won’t be available for Pochettino’s use until at least 2025.
Todd Boehly, who recently became the owner of Chelsea, has garnered significant attention during his initial year due to the substantial investments made in players like Raheem Sterling, Wesley Fofana, Mykhaylo Mudryk, Enzo Fernandez, and several others.
Chelsea has made efforts to plan for the future by securing the signatures of promising young talents like Noni Madueke, Andrey Santos, and Carney Chukwuemeka. This leaves Mauricio Pochettino with a challenging task this summer as he must trim down the squad’s size while also making new acquisitions of his own.
Although acquiring a central striker is considered a top priority, Chelsea is also expected to be in the market for a midfielder. Kendry Paez aligns with Chelsea’s current requirements, given his ability to play in midfield or in more advanced positions.
Chelsea struggled with a lack of creativity from midfield in the previous season, which is a quality that Paez already possesses abundantly. Breaking into Independiente del Valle’s first team at the age of 15, Paez has displayed remarkable fearlessness when facing much more experienced opponents, and his potential for a successful future has been widely acknowledged.
Chelsea has shown their confidence in the young player by agreeing to pay £17.27 million for his skills. However, the player, Paez, will only join Chelsea after turning 18, which means Pochettino will have to manage without him for the next two years while he is still 16.
Consequently, Chelsea will probably need to search for new players to fill the gaps in Pochettino’s team, as several players including Mason Mount, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and N’Golo Kante appear likely to depart from Stamford Bridge during the upcoming summer.
There are additional players, namely Mateo Kovacic and Conor Gallagher, who are rumored to be considering leaving Chelsea, further highlighting the club’s urgent need for midfield reinforcements. Even though Pochettino’s official tenure as Chelsea manager will commence next month, it is evident that recruitment efforts are already underway.
Chelsea has identified Moises Caicedo, Manu Kone, and Romeo Lavia as three potential top targets for this summer. However, if Mason Mount departs, the club will also need to acquire more creative players for the midfield.
Paez could fulfill that role immediately and bring a breath of fresh air to Chelsea’s squad after a disappointing season. Nonetheless, Chelsea seems willing to wait two years to ascertain whether their decision regarding Paez was the right one or not.
Chelsea signed just the player Mauricio Pochettino needs – but he can’t make debut until 2025
