Kendry Paez’s career is set to take another turn after leaving River Plate, as Chelsea look to find him an appropriate home.
Chelsea had high hopes for Kendry Paez when he made the move to England, but he failed to find his feet at both loan clubs last season. At Strasbourg he got off to a promising start, but things went downhill and his attitude was called into question, which isn’t a surprise given he’s just 19 years of age.
And his stint at River Plate during the second half of the season was a similar story, failing to have any kind of consistency and finding himself on the substitutes’ bench.
Despite this, Kendry Paez still finds himself at the 2026 World Cup with Ecuador, alongside Moises Caicedo.
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Kendry Paez in advanced talks with KV Mechelen
According to Transfermarkt (as per Expreso), Kendry Paez could be set for a fresh start in Belgium, with KV Mechelen emerging as the frontrunner to secure the Chelsea-owned Ecuadorian midfielder on loan following his departure from River Plate.
Discussions between Chelsea and the Belgian side are reportedly at an advanced stage, as Páez looks to revive his development after difficult spells at RC Strasbourg and River Plate.
Interestingly, KV Mechelen enjoyed a strong 2025/26 Belgian Pro League campaign, securing a 5th-place finish with 45 points from 30 matches, successfully qualifying for the Champions’ play-offs.
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Kendry Paez risks being let go by Chelsea
One thing that repeatedly keeps on coming up from club to club with Kendry Paez is his attitude.
It has been reported that Paez did not meet expectations at River Plate, mainly because they didn’t like his on-field and off-field behavior.
There are plenty of other young players like Estevao Willian who have grasped the opportunity of a move to Chelsea, but Paez seems to think he’s better than his loan clubs.
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