Chelsea set to recall Kendry Paez from River Plate after failed loan spell

Chelsea are set to recall Kendry Paez from his loan spell at River Plate following a deeply disappointing stint in Argentina, according to transfer expert Ben Jacobs. The 19-year-old Ecuadorean has started just three games since joining the Buenos Aires club in January, and Argentine media believe he has already played his final match for the side.

Paez, who was signed by Chelsea as a highly promising teenager and dubbed the club’s ‘lottery ticket’, has struggled to establish himself across two consecutive loan moves. Prior to his spell at River Plate, he made just 15 appearances for RC Strasbourg in Ligue 1 between July 2025 and January, failing to make a consistent impact in France either. In total, he has accumulated fewer than 500 minutes of playing time at River Plate, with 11 substitute appearances supplementing his three starts.

The timing of a potential recall is notable. Paez received a World Cup 2026 squad call-up from Ecuador head coach Sebastian Beccacece, giving him a significant stage to rebuild some momentum ahead of what promises to be a pivotal summer. However, he arrives at the North American tournament having been dropped from River Plate’s squad entirely for their recent Apertura playoff fixtures, leaving him short of match sharpness.

Chelsea, who finished 10th in the 2025/26 Premier League season — behind Brentford, Brighton, Sunderland and Bournemouth — face a broader reckoning over their transfer strategy. The club has spent heavily in recent years without consistently integrating signings into a cohesive first team, and Paez’s stalled development represents one of the more visible examples of that problem.

New Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso will inherit the Paez situation and must determine the teenager’s pathway at the club. Whether that means another loan move, a place in the first-team squad, or a permanent sale remains unclear. With Paez still only 19, there is time for his career trajectory to shift — but two underwhelming loan spells in succession have complicated what was once considered one of Chelsea’s more exciting long-term prospects.