Chelsea's Kendry Paez joins Strasbourg on loan

New York Times

2 days ago

Chelsea's Kendry Paez has joined BlueCo sister-club Strasbourg on a season-long loan deal.
Paez only joined Chelsea earlier this summer, following his 18th birthday, after the club agreed a deal to sign him from Ecuadorian club Independiente del Valle in June 2023.
The teenager scored 13 goals in 70 first-team appearances for his former club, and has also played 18 times for Ecuador.
Paez was training at Chelsea earlier this year but was not included in Enzo Maresca's Club World Cup squad.
Midfielder Kendry Paez has joined Ligue 1 side RC Strasbourg on a season-long loan.
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 31, 2025
BlueCo, the holding company which controls Chelsea and Strasbourg, has overseen multiple moves between the two clubs.
Chelsea development squad coach Filipe Coelho has left his post to become Liam Rosenior's assistant at the Ligue 1 side, while goalkeeper Mike Penders has also joined Strasbourg on a loan deal for 2025-26. Strasbourg have also signed Ishe Samuels-Smith and Mathis Amougou on permanent deals from Chelsea this summer.
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Last season, goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, full-back Caleb Wiley and midfielder Andrey Santos were on loan at Strasbourg, helping the club to a seventh-place finish and qualification for this season's Conference League, while Diego Moreira was signed on a permanent deal.
This summer, Petrovic joined Bournemouth on a permanent deal while Wiley has joined Championship side Watford on loan, with Santos set to be involved in Chelsea's first-team squad.
FIFA rules permit only three players per season to be loaned between clubs with such arrangements. The Athletic reported on July 22 that defender Mamadou Sarr, who arrived at Chelsea from the French side earlier this summer, is set to return to Strasbourg on loan.