Chelsea told teenage wonderkid 'has everything to be better than Leo Messi and Neymar' after sealing loan move

Former Ecuador international Carlos Tenorio has expressed his firm belief that young compatriot Paez has the talent to go all the way to the very top, and even surpass icons like Lionel Messi and Neymar. The key to realising that potential, the retired striker says, is the player himself staying on the right path and being advised well by the people around him.

"He has everything to be better than Leo Messi, better than Neymar, but it depends on him and his entourage," Tenorio, who enjoyed his most prolific years with Qatar's Al-Sadd and scored twice at the 2006 World Cup, told L'Equipe. "This is the first time I've seen a player with these features. I think he has everything to become one of the most important players in world football."

Paez made his senior debut for Independiente del Valle, the same Ecuadorian club that produced Moises Caicedo, at the age of 15 and Chelsea had secured a pre-arranged transfer within five weeks of the young attacker turning 16. Following his 18th birhtday in May, Paez was finally old enough to move internationally and has been given the opportunity to develop on loan out of the Premier League spotlight at Chelsea's sister club, Strasbourg.

Paez made his senior international debut for Ecuador aged 16 in 2023 and is his country's youngest ever player. Across all of South America, only Argentina legend Diego Maradona has ever played international football at an earlier age.

Even just three months beyond 18, Paez doesn't lack experience. He's played 98 senior games for club and country in his career to date, but Ligue 1 with Strasbourg will be an important test. The club proved a happy place for Djordje Petrovic before the goalkeeper secured a permanent transfer from Chelsea to Bournemouth, while Ecuador international Willian Pacho played a significant role in Paris Saint-Germain's epic 2024-25 season.