Chelsea sign South American wonderkid, 16, to begin spree

 Chelsea have confirmed the signing of Ecuadorian youngster Kendry Paez, one of the hottest young prospects in South America, and supporters are incredibly excited about the 'generational talent'

If you thought Todd Boehly might calm down a bit in his second year at Chelsea, think again.

The Blues have just splashed close to £20million on Ecuadorian wonderkid Kendry Paez to kick off what looks set to be another seriously expensive summer.

The 16-year-old is one of the most highly-rated youngsters in the world and was being tracked by a number of top European sides including Manchester United and Dortmund, but Chelsea have won the race after agreeing to pay Ecuadorian outfit Independiente del Valle a whopping £17.3m.

Paez won't actually move to Stamford Bridge until his 18th birthday in 2025, so it'll be a while before Chelsea fans get the chance to see him in action, but that hasn't stopped them waxing lyrical about the teenager on social media, with some supporters even tipping him to win the Ballon d'Or at some point.

"Finally," tweeted one ecstatic Blues fan after the transfer was confirmed, "this guy is the real deal. Future Chelsea legend." Another said: "Ballon d'Or by 2029," while a third wrote: "Generational talent if you ask me."

Paez has been one of the standout stars at this year's U20 World Cup, despite being the youngest player at the tournament, and became the youngest goalscorer in the competition's history after netting against Fiji last month.

He's already had a taste of senior football too, having played five times for Independiente del Valle this year, scoring one goal.

For those who don't know, Paez is a predominantly a midfielder but can also play on the wing. He's a fearless dribbler with a box of tricks up his sleeve, prompting comparisons to Argentine megastar Lionel Messi.

Despite the astronomical fee Chelsea stumped up for him, Paez is merely the third-most expensive 16-year-old in football history, with Monaco shelling out £17.7m for Italian youngster Pietro Pellegri in 2018 and Dortmund splashing £21.1m on Jude Bellingham two years later.