Kendry Paez has not enjoyed the best 12 months as he continues to try and earn his place in the Chelsea first team squad, however showed signs of his best again in his last outing for River Plate.
Paez’s underwhelming campaign has seen him move to Argentina on loan after a spell at Strasbourg earlier this season did not prove to be beneficial for either party.
Even his early time at River Plate was marred with issues. An injury in Paez’s second appearance for the club saw him forced off early.
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Chelsea loanee Kendry Paez stars for River Plate
He was back on the bench for Wednesday night’s CONMEBOL Sudamericana clash with Carabobo, with the game poised at 0-0 when he entered the fray in the second half.
The Ecuador international was on hand to provide an assist for the only goal of the game, his first for his new side.
River Plate v Carabobo - Copa CONMEBOL Sudamericana 2026
Photo by Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images
Outside of the assist, Paez enjoyed a fine performance still. He created two chances in total, taking on three shots, with one being on target.
He also completed 100% of his dribbles, and won all of his four ground duels as River Plate finally made their dominance show late on.
With a place in Ecuador’s World Cup squad alongside Moises Caicedo up for grabs, he will be hoping there is more of the same to come for the rest of the campaign.
Chelsea are reportedly set to tweak their transfer strategy and sign more experienced players!
Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley
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Chelsea’s stance on Paez may change because of Liam Rosenior
Chelsea originally saw Paez on the same level as Estevao Willian, although it has become clear the two are on very different trajectories right now.
During his time at Strasbourg, Paez was accused of unprofessionalism at a time when Liam Rosenior was in charge of the Ligue 1 side.
The latest reports suggest Chelsea are backing Rosenior as their long-term manager, and it feels unlikely that he will be keen to use Paez anytime soon.
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