Kendry Paex after the match between Germany and Ecuador
Photo by Bryan Berlin / WikiPortraits, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped).
Kendry Paex after the match between Germany and Ecuador
Blackburn Rovers and Birmingham City are monitoring Kendry Paez as Chelsea prepare to send him on loan in January, according to TEAMtalk.
Blackburn Rovers and Birmingham City have both performed positively over the first quarter of the 2026/27 campaign, but they’ll have eyes on the January transfer window as an opportunity to strengthen the ranks further. Now, TEAMtalk has claimed one player of interest to both clubs is Kendry Paez.
The report states that Chelsea are actively looking for potential loan destinations for Ecuadorian prospect Paez. Rovers and the Blues are keen, but the 19-year-old also has admirers at Celtic and Trabzonspor, and he was eyed by Belgium’s KV Mechelen in the summer.
Kendry Paex after the match between Germany and Ecuador
Photo by Bryan Berlin / WikiPortraits, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped).
Paez was on the radar at Ewood Park in the last transfer window as was put to Tony Mowbray as a potential signing. However, the boss snubbed the deal, and the attacking midfielder has remained with Chelsea instead.
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How has Kendry Paez fared this season since Chelsea return and Blackburn Rovers snub?
Paez was viewed as one of South America’s most exciting talents when he officially joined Chelsea in 2025. However, loans at RC Strasbourg and River Plate have not yielded the success hoped.
Blackburn Rovers were lined up as a potential destination in Paez’s bid to settle into English football, but after Mowbray opted against bringing him in, he has only played U21s football.
Paez has made six appearances across the Premier League 2 and EFL Trophy. He provided an assist in a 2-1 defeat to Wycombe Wanderers in September and played a little over an hour in a 2-0 triumph over Reading in the same cup competitions in October.
At 19, the Chelsea starlet is still young and has plenty of time to come good in England. But, Paez has struggled to impact games the way he did in his emergence in Ecuador with Independiente del Valle, so it remains to be seen if a half-season loan to the Championship can breathe life into his career again.
Kendry Paez’s Independiente del Valle stats
Games Goals Assists
70 13 6
The Verdict: Blackburn Rovers and Birmingham City must carefully consider loan options amid early success
This applies to Birmingham City more given that they are the current Championship leaders, but clubs have to be careful with loan deals in the winter. Recruitment staff and managers alike need to be wary of how new signings will impact a thriving squad.
Loan players come in with a desire to play, but it can be tough to find opportunities in a thriving team. If that were to happen to Paez, it wouldn’t help his development and could bring players off the pitch too.
Blackburn Rovers aren’t in quite the same position as they’re 13th, but Mowbray has harnessed some strong squad spirit. The fact the boss has already snubbed the loan signing of Paez would raise questions over a winter deal for his services too.
Time will tell what comes of Paez’s winter transfer fate as Chelsea look for potential destinations.
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