As a wonderkid signs, Chelsea confirms its first transfer under Mauricio Pochettino.

Chelsea has acknowledged that they have reached an agreement to complete the first deal since Mauricio Pochettino was hired, but they must wait to see their new star perform.

Independiente del Valle and Chelsea have officially reached a deal for the transfer of Kendry Paez to Chelsea. After turning 18, the 16-year-old will join the Blues.

The young man most recently competed with Ecuador in the under-20 World Cup. After scoring a goal and dishing up three assists in four matches, he left quite the impression.

Paez’s abilities have been recognized; he was named the top player at the 2022 Next Generation Trophy, a young competition held in Austria, and he excelled for Ecuador at the under-17 Copa America, leading his country and tallying two goals and six assists while serving as captain.

El Universo reported in 2019 that the midfielder, who played regularly for del Valle’s minor teams between 2018 and 2022, scored 39 goals in 106 games. Independiente del Valle has used the midfielder six times in 2023, including during the Copa de Libertadores.

Paez is the most recent of several young athletes whom the Blues are keeping an eye on as they try to sign stars early. Prior to acquiring Andrey Santos in January, Chelsea signed Gabriel Slonina, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Cesare Casadei in the summer of last year. Due to problems with his work permit, the latter was forced to return on loan to Vasco da Gama and has been unable to join the Blues.

After conversations, Chelsea is hopeful to acquire Romeo Lavia, with Eden Hazard contributing to the acquisition.

Exclusive information from Express Sport indicates that Chelsea will rekindle their interest in Romeo Lavia this summer. Eden Hazard is believed to have played a part in a potential transfer.

Chelsea will make a run for Southampton star Romeo Lavia this summer after losing out to Paris Saint-Germain for Manuel Ugarte. The midfielder has long been a favorite of the Blues, who have identified him and Moises Caicedo of Brighton as their primary targets as Mauricio Pochettino plans to revamp his midfield ahead of the upcoming campaign.

The Blues planned to rekindle their interest in the 19-year-old in the coming weeks after seeing their £50 million approach for Lavia rejected last summer.

Since their aborted pursuit of the playmaker in 2022, Express Sport has been in frequent communication with the player’s representation and is aware that the playmaker is being considered as a replacement for Ugarte.

While at Southampton, Joe Shields acquired Lavia from Manchester City, and he is a major factor in why the Belgian international is so well-liked there. The Saints are hoping to fetch somewhere around £45m for their No. 45, therefore the Blues’ director of recruitment and talent has spoken with Lavia’s camp to gauge his interest in a move throughout the season.

Express Sport is aware of In January, Chelsea renewed its interest in Lavia, and the midfielder spoke on the phone with then-manager Graham Potter about a prospective transfer. Todd Boehly then verbally proposed a proposal to Southampton that would have seen Lavia signed and loaned back to St. Mary’s for the rest of the season. That proposal was declined.

Lavia also chatted with Eden Hazard, a Chelsea legend, on his time at Stamford Bridge before the World Cup. When the opportunity arose, Hazard enthusiastically urged his international teammate to accept it and join Chelsea.

Both Arsenal and Liverpool are keeping an eye on Lavia’s position, although Liverpool is prioritizing other objectives right now after reaching a personal contract with Brighton star Alexis MacAllister. Additionally, Man City added a 20% sell-on provision and a buy-back clause to the contract of its academy product, both of which take effect in 2024.

Lavia also chatted with Eden Hazard, a Chelsea legend, on his time at Stamford Bridge before the World Cup. When the opportunity arose, Hazard enthusiastically urged his international teammate to accept it and join Chelsea.

Both Arsenal and Liverpool are keeping an eye on Lavia’s position, although Liverpool is prioritizing other objectives right now after reaching a personal contract with Brighton star Alexis MacAllister. Additionally, Man City added a 20% sell-on provision and a buy-back clause to the contract of its academy product, both of which take effect in 2024.

Chelsea has also made Brighton star Caicedo a target, and after getting in touch with the Ecuadorian international’s support group recently, they intend to go after him hard in the near future.

The Seagulls are open to bids for Caicedo this summer, but they will only sell him for a high price because they are aware that there is a lot of interest in the 21-year-old, particularly from Arsenal.

Given that Roberto De Zerbi is anxious to keep the defender on the team and that a £30 million deal for his services was just turned down, Levi Colwill may end up playing a key role in negotiations between Chelsea and Brighton.

Despite the Blues’ insistence that he is not for sale, a second bid is currently being evaluated. However, being willing to talk about Colwill could help them in their effort to sign Caicedo.