Chelsea face excruciating wait on next Cole Palmer who Mauricio Pochettino is already watching

Chelsea potentially already have their next Cole Palmer in the form of Kendry Paez, but they'll have to endure an excruciating wait before he joins their ranks. The young talent has already been announced as a Chelsea recruit after impressing in South America.

Amidst Todd Boehly's extravagant spending, the acquisition of the relatively unknown Ecuadorian prodigy Paez went somewhat unnoticed. Having spent £17.27million on his signature, Paez is already showing promise of being a savvy addition for the West London club.

However, he won't be gracing Stamford Bridge until next summer. Paez, who has already earned his first cap for Ecuador, will join the Blues when he turns 18 in May 2025.

This means that star player Palmer might have to wait a bit longer for reinforcements. Paez has at least had some experience training with the Chelsea first team, with the Premier League side arranging several trips to England for the youngster.

This is part of an effort to help him acclimatise to the English game before his move becomes official next year, reports the Express. Mauricio Pochettino, ahead of his initial visit to Chelsea's training ground last year, was full of praise for the young talent:

"Of course, I know him," said Pochettino. "He is playing in the Ecuador national team. He was the youngest to make his debut. I follow the national teams, I follow them in South America, he is our player and I know him very well. He is a great talent."

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The teenager in question is a versatile midfielder, capable of shielding the defence or pushing up to support the attack. It's in this attacking role that Paez has truly shone for Independiente del Valle, with an impressive tally of 11 goal contributions from 39 appearances at senior level.

His flair was on display during a Copa Libertadores match against Palmeiras, where he executed a perfect one-two before curling a left-footed shot into the top corner, although his side ultimately fell to a late defeat.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are looking to bounce back from their recent heavy defeat to Arsenal as they prepare to face Aston Villa at Villa Park on Saturday. With only two wins in their last six games in all competitions, the Blues' European aspirations are hanging by a thread.