Kendry Paez has been pictured training with Strasbourg ahead of his summer move to Chelsea.
Chelsea signed Paez, 17, in June 2023 for a reported £17.27million, with the player set to join the club after his 18th birthday. Currently plying his trade for Independiente del Valle in Ecuador, Paez has established himself as one of the highest-rated talents in world football.
Now, ahead of his summer move to west London, he is training with Chelsea’s sister club Strasbourg as the Blues hope to help him adjust to life in Europe. Strasbourg were bought by Blue Co in June 2023, a move which saw the club become a regular loan destination for Chelsea squad players and young hopefuls.
It is unclear for how long Paez will train with Strasbourg, though French outlet L’Equipe reports that manager Liam Rosenior is evaluating the player ahead of a potential loan move next season.
Un nouveau joueur 😍(Colombien , fraîchement coiffé) participe à la séance .
— Le Baron Bleu (@lebaron_bleu) April 8, 2025
Kendry Paez 🔵⚪️#RCSA pic.twitter.com/SwmO7ereAP
Video emerged on Tuesday of the player taking part in a small-sided game in open training, playing alongside Chelsea loanee Andrey Santos, 20, who has been named Strasbourg’s captain since joining at the start of this season.
While with Strasbourg, Paez will also train alongside Serbian goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, who is expected to rejoin Enzo Maresca’s first-team setup along with Santos next season.
Paez made his professional debut aged just 15 and already has 17 senior international caps for Ecuador to his name. He was spotted watching Chelsea’s Carabao Cup win over Newcastle at Stamford Bridge in December 2019, also visiting their Cobham training base in February.
Strasbourg currently sit fourth in Ligue 1, a single point shy of Champions League qualification with four matches remaining this season.
