Chelsea sister club Strasbourg are set to take in another class of Blues loanees ahead of the 2025/26 season.
The Ligue 1 outfit became part of the BlueCo network in 2023 and has conducted regular business with Chelsea since.
Andrey Santos, Djorde Petrovic, and Caleb Wiley all spent time on loan in Alsace last season, while winger Diego Moreira made a permanent switch from Stamford Bridge to the Stade de la Meinau.
And the trend is already continuing this summer, with Mathis Amougou and Mamadou Sarr already trading places on permanent deals, the latter making his Chelsea debut in a nine-minute cameo against Esperance Tunis at the Club World Cup.
That is not the extent of the two clubs’ summer dealings, though - Strasbourg will also take in two highly-rated loanees in Kendry Paez, 18, and Mike Penders.
Neither deal is yet confirmed, but both are nearing completion. Penders is the priority, with the Paez move second on the docket.
Both players joined up with Chelsea this summer having agreed moves years ago, Paez in 2023 and Penders in 2024.
The Ecuador international Paez, who joins from Independiente del Valle for £17.27million, was spotted training with Strasbourg in April as Chelsea looked to help him acclimatise to life in Europe.
L’Equipe reported at the time that his presence in training was being treated as a tryout, and he seems to have impressed Liam Rosenior.
Paez spent the summer with Chelsea’s Club World Cup camp, but was not named in the playing squad.
Penders was slightly luckier, named alongside Robert Sanchez, Filip Jorgensen, and Gaga Slonina in Enzo Maresca’s Club World Cup squad, but did not see any competitive play.
He made the move to West London from Genk for £17m. Strasbourg are newly in need of a shot-stopper after loanee Petrovic returned to Chelsea, and the highly-rated Penders is tipped to take his place.
Standing 6ft7in tall, he is tipped to challenge for the No1 spot at Chelsea in years to come.
He has big gloves to full, though, after Petrovic was named Strasbourg’s Player of the Season following his loan spell.
