Chelsea have agreed a £20million deal to sign Ecuadorian wonderkid Kendry Paez.
The Blues committed to the transfer just hours before sacking Graham Potter. The former Brighton boss was dismissed on Sunday night after Chelsea's 2-0 home defeat to Aston Villa the previous day, which saw them slip to 11th in the Premier League table.
Paez, 15, will not be able to complete his move to Chelsea until he turns 18 in May 2025. The attacking midfielder, who represents Ecuador at U17 level, is quickly making a name for himself at Independiente del Valle - scoring on his league debut in February.
As reported by Sky Sports News less than an hour before Potter's sacking, Chelsea have agreed a deal in principle to buy Paez for £20m and beat the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid to his signature.
Although the deal is yet to be finalised, it is expected to go through. Paez is one of the most exciting young players in South America, with critics describing him as a "generational talent" and comparing him to Endrick - the 16-year-old Brazilian who is set to join Real.
Paez hit the headlines after scoring in Independiente del Valle's 3-1 win against Mushuc Runa in February. He has since retained his place in the Ecuadorian club's starting XI.
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Paez is also a regular at international level. The teenager has scored three goals and provided five assists for Ecuador's U17s. Two of those assists came during Ecuador's 4-0 win against Colombia in the U17 South American Championship on Sunday.
Yet Paez won't get the chance to play under Potter at Stamford Bridge. Potter's assistant Bruno Saltor has been appointed Chelsea's interim manager until further notice, with the Blues hoping to identify a new long-term boss sooner rather than later.
Potter's dismissal came just seven months after he succeeded Thomas Tuchel. Chelsea have invested more than £500million into their squad since Todd Boehly's consortium completed a takeover of the club last summer, but they are in danger of a mid-table finish.
Chelsea will need to win the Champions League to qualify for next season's edition. They face holders Real Madrid in the quarter-finals, with the winners of that tie playing either Manchester City or Bayern Munich in the last four. It is a daunting task for Bruno.
"On behalf of everyone at the club, we want to thank Graham sincerely for his contribution to Chelsea," said co-owners Boehly and Behdad Eghbali. "We have the highest degree of respect for Graham as a coach and as a person. He has always conducted himself with professionalism and integrity and we are all disappointed in this outcome.
"Along with our incredible fans, we will all be getting behind Bruno and the team as we focus on the rest of the season. We have 10 Premier League games remaining and a Champions League quarter-final ahead. We will put every effort and commitment into every one of those games so that we can end the season on a high."
