Revealed: Why Chelsea are paying for protection for £100m man Moises Caicedo and wonderkid Kendry Paez

The South American country is facing civil unrest having seen several attacks orchestrated by criminal organisations which has forced the Blues to finance round-the-clock security for 16-year-old Paez and his family, according to The Telegraph. Similar support has been provided to the family members of Caicedo who still reside in Ecuador.

Concerns about the safety of Paez and his family have risen due to the turbulent situation in Ecuador, marked by incidents such as gunmen storming a television station live on air. Chelsea maintains regular contact with Paez and Caicedo's families and has vowed to provide support until normalcy returns.

Paez made history last October as the youngest-ever South American to score in a World Cup qualifier at just 16 years and 161 days. His achievements include being the youngest appearance-maker and goalscorer in Liga Pro, leading Ecuador to the final of the South American Under-17 Championship, and holding the record for the youngest scorer at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup.

Paez will continue playing for Independiente until he turns 18 in May 2025. Meanwhile, Caicedo will be back in action in west London next Wednesday against Middlesbrough in the second leg of the EFL Cup semifinal hoping to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg.