Xabi Alonso Confirms Kendry Paez Not in Chelsea First-Team Plans

The Ecuador international returned to Stamford Bridge after his loan spell at River Plate was cut short at the end of August. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Alonso addressed the teenager’s immediate future in London: “No, no. He is not part of the plans. At the moment, he is not part of the first team squad.”

Loan Stints and Arrival in London

Páez officially joined Chelsea last summer after turning 18, following a pre-agreement struck in 2023 with Independiente del Valle for a fee of £17.3million when he was just 16 years old. Upon arriving in Europe, he spent the first half of last season on loan at Strasbourg, making 21 appearances.

He subsequently moved to Argentina in January to join River Plate on loan. During his stint in Buenos Aires, Páez made 10 appearances—three of them as a starter—before his time with the club ended abruptly following River’s post-World Cup roster adjustments. Across all competitions for the Argentine club, he recorded one assist against Carabobo in the Copa Sudamericana and scored a single goal against Aldosivi in the Torneo Apertura.

Search for a Temporary Landing Spot

Following the termination of his River Plate agreement, Chelsea explored options to secure a domestic loan for the teenager before the English transfer window slammed shut on September 1, but no agreement was finalized. While the domestic window in England has closed, other international leagues keep their registration periods open longer. Leagues in Mexico, Brazil, and Greece remain viable destinations if Chelsea management elects to arrange another temporary move ahead of January.

The immediate priority at Cobham is to integrate Páez back into training environments and work on elevating his developmental standards. However, Alonso’s remarks underline that this development path will run away from the senior matchday squad for the foreseeable future.

Squad Updates Around Cobham

In other squad news at Chelsea, midfielder Moisés Caicedo has returned to training after missing the previous two matches due to a calf injury. Caicedo will not feature in the Carabao Cup third-round fixture against Leeds United on Wednesday night, with Alonso noting that the technical staff prefers not to rush his comeback.

Meanwhile, young striker Dastan Satpayev, currently on loan at Burnley, returned to Cobham to undergo treatment for a hamstring injury. Burnley head coach Nicky Hayen indicated that the problem is expected to sideline the 18-year-old forward for several weeks.

Next Steps

Chelsea prepares for its upcoming Carabao Cup third-round fixture against Leeds United on Wednesday night, while the club continues to assess external loan opportunities for Páez in open international transfer windows.