Chelsea wonderkid Kendry Paez is reportedly looking for a way out of West London when the January transfer window opens. The midfielder has been playing for Chelsea’s Under-21s this season after failing to break into new manager Xabi Alonso’s first-team plans.

Paez finally joined Chelsea from Ecuadorian club Independiente del Valle, where Moises Caicedo also came through the academy, last summer after his 18th birthday. The youngster had agreed to join the Blues two years earlier.

Like Estevao Willian, Paez arrived with a huge reputation and was expected to develop into a Premier League star. However, after unsuccessful loan spells at Strasbourg and River Plate, he still cannot find a place in Chelsea’s first-team squad.

Chelsea wonderkid Kendry Paez wants January exit

According to Nicolo Schira, Kendry Paez is “ready to leave Chelsea” when the January transfer window opens. However, it remains unclear whether he would prefer another loan move or a permanent departure from Stamford Bridge.

Either way, it highlights how Paez’s career has failed to live up to expectations. The youngest goalscorer in Ecuadorian top-flight history was tipped to become a global superstar, but he has not even established himself as a Premier League player.

Paez’s talent was recognised not only by Chelsea’s recruitment team but also by several senior players. Blues captain Reece James and star forward Cole Palmer both reached out to help Paez settle in, believing he had a big future at the club.

“I think Palmer had spoken to Kendry Paez even when he was at Strasbourg about long-term integration, and Reece James has had a conversation with him as well,” Ben Jacobs reported in January.

“So a lot of the senior Chelsea players have been quite invested in Kendry Paez because they think that he could be big for the football club one day.”

The biggest concern for Paez is that he has failed to excel even at youth-team level. He has struggled to secure a place in the Chelsea U21s starting XI, recording just one assist in four appearances in 2026/27.

Previous reports have blamed Paez’s lack of professionalism for his underwhelming performances since joining Chelsea. Whether that is the case or he simply has not lived up to the hype, he would not be the first wonderkid at Chelsea or elsewhere to fail to fulfil their potential.