Future Chelsea signing Kendry Paez has been handed a visa in order to travel to England.
After a drawn-out process, Chelsea were able to win the race for the teenager's signature in the summer, confirming the signing in June.
As Paez does not turn 18 years of age until May 2025, the prospect is not in a position to move to Stamford Bridge until that period.
Nevertheless, the general consensus is that the Premier League giants have pulled off a coup in attracting Paez to Stamford Bridge.
Despite still being 16, Paez has already made 26 appearances for current club Independiente del Valle, contributing four goals and one assist.
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Furthermore, alongside British transfer record signing Moises Caicedo, Paez has remarkably already earned five caps for Ecuador, catapulting him to national stardom.
Each of those appearances have been from the starting lineup, with one goal and two assists being provided in wins over Uruguay, Bolivia and Chile.
Given the level of his progression, there will be frustration behind the scenes that Paez is unable to represent Chelsea until the 2025-26 campaign at the very earliest.
Nevertheless, it has been revealed that club officials have recently taken steps to welcome Paez to their Cobham training ground for the first time.
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Independiente del Valle sporting manager Roberto Arroyo told Machdeportes: "We just had Kendry Paez's visa accepted. Now we have to wait for Chelsea's plan for him to travel."
As per the Evening Standard, Paez will travel to England upon the conclusion of the Ecuadorian top-flight campaign, which finishes on December 17.
Chelsea have allegedly committed to paying €20m to sign Paez, who has been featuring in a wide array of positions for Independiente del Valle.
While he has generally been used in the final third, Paez was one of two central midfielders in his side's last fixture against Orense SC.
Darren Plant
