BARRIO – Manchester United and Chelsea are battling it out to sign Ecuadorian 15-year-old sensation Kendry Paez. Reports last week suggested Chelsea had made a formal approach with a £15million bid but the offer was rejected.

The Blues have spent more than £600million on transfers this season and added Southampton youngster Jimmy-Jay Morgan to their academy set-up this month.

Paez, born in 2007, is making waves in his homeland with Independiente del Valle. The rising star has recently been promoted to the first team during pre-season for the 2023 campaign. He has even been dubbed “better than Endrick”, the Brazilian teenager who has signed for Real Madrid despite interest from England.

Like Endrick, Paez would need to wait until he is 18 in May 2025 before moving to Europe. However, he could sign a contract ahead of that to tie himself down to a new club.

The central midfielder shone at the 2022 Next Generation Trophy in Austria. That alerted Borussia Dortmund to his exciting talent as well – with the Germans and United both reportedly having bids rejected last year.

Paez has four international caps for Ecuador’s Under-17s – and two goals.