Chelsea’s failure to find Kendry Páez another loan may have accidentally given the youngster the reality check he needs.
At least, that’s the argument now being made in Ecuador. Páez is staying in London after moves elsewhere failed to materialise before the deadline. He’s been registered with Chelsea’s Under-21 setup and can also be called upon by Xabi Alonso.
After difficult spells at Strasbourg and River Plate, dropping back into youth football hardly looked like the ideal next step.
Pundits Jorge Sánchez Parra and José Carlos Crespo see things differently. Discussing Páez on Radio Diblu, they argued that staying far away from Ecuador could actually help him.
Their reasoning is pretty simple. In London, Páez is a talented 19-year-old trying to make his way at Chelsea. Back home, his reputation would make him something much bigger.
“In London, Kendry Páez isn’t what he would be in Ecuador”
Sánchez Parra was the first to make the point, and didn’t hold back.
“I feel that if Kendry Páez returns to Ecuador, for whatever reason, he will completely lose his way,” he said.
When asked whether he believed the Chelsea player was already heading down that road, he replied: “I think he’s on the path to losing his way, and he still has a couple of opportunities ahead of him.”
“It’s up to him whether he wants to take them or not. But in this scenario, if tomorrow he comes back to Independiente, Liga, Emelec or Barcelona, I think here he completely loses his way.”
Sánchez Parra then pointed towards disciplinary concerns, suggesting returning home could make those issues “more pronounced”. Crespo picked up the argument and explained why London could provide a very different environment.
“You need them to look at you and treat you – I won’t say as just another player, because ultimately you’re a footballer and you can be a Chelsea first-team player or whatever you want,” Crespo said.
“But in London, Kendry Páez isn’t what he would be in Ecuador. This doesn’t guarantee things will go well for him now because they don’t know him, or because they treat him equally.”
“What I do believe is that, for someone who has continually been failing in terms of how he’s managed himself and his behaviour, coming to an environment which ends up being friendly, giving him special treatment and opening doors for him, I think that would end up making things more complicated for him.”
| Every Chelsea signing 26/27 | Previous Club | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Morgan Rogers | Aston Villa | £120m |
| Maxence Lacroix | Crystal Palace | £52m |
| Geovany Quenda | Sporting | £41.5m |
| Marco Palestra | Atalanta | £47m |
| Valentin Barco | RC Strasbourg | £34m |
| Pep Chavarría | Rayo Vallecano | £17m |
| Emiliano Martínez | Aston Villa | £7.8m |
| Danny Welbeck | Brighton | £5.1m |
| Jordan Henderson | Brentford | Free |
Chelsea may be providing a reality check
It’s an interesting way of looking at a situation which initially appeared another setback for Páez. Chelsea wanted another senior loan after his River spell ended early. That didn’t happen, leaving the Ecuadorian back at Cobham and with the Under-21s.
There will be far less fuss around him there. Crespo believes the difficult experiences Páez has already had could eventually help as well.
“It’s also true that he’s been away for a year and a half, and he gets hit and hit again,” he said. “It could be that he never learns his lesson. It could be that he never reaches that moment where he settles down.”
Sánchez Parra immediately interrupted: “It’s now!”
That perhaps sums up the discussion. For once, just being another young player trying to prove himself at Chelsea might be exactly what Páez needs.
SI KENDRY PAÉZ VUELVE A ECUADOR, SE TERMINA DE PERDER@jsanchezparra: “Yo creo que está en la vía para perderse y todavía tiene un par de salidas más adelante. Está en él si las quiere agarrar o no. Si mañana vuelve a IDV, Liga, Emelec, Barcelona, yo creo que acá se termina de… pic.twitter.com/DhvvC8TPi0
— Radio Diblu (@RadioDibluFM) September 16, 2026
