Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has confirmed that Kendry Paez will not feature for the first team before the January transfer window opens, dealing a significant blow to the 19-year-old Ecuadorian’s immediate prospects at Stamford Bridge.
Xabi Alonso confirms Kendry Paez not in Chelsea first-team plans
Paez returned to Chelsea after River Plate cut short his loan at the end of last month.
The club attempted to find the attacking midfielder a temporary move within England before the domestic deadline on September 1, but those efforts proved unsuccessful.
Chelsea’s primary focus now is to reintegrate Paez and help raise his standards, though Alonso made it clear that does not translate into senior opportunities.
When asked on Tuesday whether he planned to use Paez before the new year, the Spanish coach delivered a blunt response:
“No, no. He is not part of the plans. At the moment, he is not part of the first team squad”.
Paez has yet to make a single appearance for Chelsea since completing his £17.3million ($23.4m) move from Independiente del Valle last summer.
The two clubs originally agreed the deal in 2023 when he was just 16, but he had to wait until turning 18 to officially join the London side.
The teenager spent the first half of last season on loan at Strasbourg, featuring 21 times, before switching to River Plate in January where he managed only 10 appearances just three of which came as a starter.
Chelsea still have options if they wish to arrange another loan immediately rather than waiting for January, with transfer windows remaining open in Mexico, Brazil and Greece among others.
Meanwhile, Moises Caicedo has returned to training after missing the last two matches with a calf injury, though Alonso will not rush him back for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup third-round tie against Leeds United.
Striker Dastan Satpayev, currently on loan at Burnley, has also returned to Cobham for treatment on a hamstring injury that is expected to sideline the 18-year-old for several weeks.
