Second loan going wrong – “Many doubts” around Chelsea talent Kendry Páez

Chelsea are starting to pay very close attention to Kendry Páez’s situation at River Plate. Reports from South America suggests the Premier League club could seriously rethink the youngster’s loan if his lack of minutes continues.

The Ecuadorian arrived in Argentina as one of River’s big signings – locally described as the club’s “star signing” – after Chelsea approved a move that was supposed to relaunch his momentum following a frustrating spell at Strasbourg.

Instead, there are now growing doubts around whether this loan is really working either. That is a problem for everyone involved.

Chelsea did not send him to River to sit out key games

Chelsea’s thinking behind the move was pretty clear. After an uneven first European experience at Strasbourg, where Páez struggled to establish himself consistently, the club wanted him playing regularly in a high-pressure environment.

River looked perfect for that. Big crowds. Big expectations. Big matches.

The agreement itself reflected that idea. River signed him on a one-year loan with the possibility of extending the stay by another six months.

However, ECUAGOL in Ecuador and The Intransigent in Argentina are both claiming his future at the Argentine club is already starting to generate uncertainty.

The report claims Chelsea are monitoring the situation closely and could analyse the possibility of cutting the loan short if the original plan – continuity, rhythm and development – is no longer being achieved.

That possibility becomes more realistic if Páez keeps falling outside Eduardo Coudet’s plans.

The outlet even states that a departure after the 2026 World Cup would start to gain real strength if the current pattern continues.

For now, neither Chelsea nor River have taken an official public position. Still, there is now clear noise around the situation.

Recall clause is becoming a real talking point

Part of the concern comes from the actual structure of the deal. El Intransigente reports there are now “many doubts” internally around Páez’s situation, especially after he was once again left out of the squad against Rosario Central.

According to the report, Coudet currently does not see the Ecuadorian as ready for high-pressure knockout matches.

Things reportedly became more complicated after River’s shootout against San Lorenzo, when Páez missed a penalty and ended the night emotionally shaken.

That matters because River are now in the most demanding stage of the season, where coaches naturally lean toward players they fully trust.

As we previously coveredChelsea protected themselves when negotiating the loan. The agreement includes a recall mechanism if Páez does not reach 50% of available minutes during this first stage of the campaign.

Right now, that target is starting to look genuinely difficult. River have only three games remaining in this semester. Two Copa Libertadores group stage ties and the Apertura final against Belgrano.

So far, the midfielder has played 12 official matches for River, scoring once and providing one assist. Those are not disastrous numbers, especially considering the irregular minutes, but they are still below what many expected from one of South America’s biggest teenage talents.

Particularly because this is already the second loan in a row where things have become unstable.

His Strasbourg spell never fully clicked. And now, just months later, the River move is beginning to generate similar questions.

Manager insists there is no problem

Despite all the noise, manager Eduardo Coudet continues to publicly defend the player. After the latest omission, the River manager tried to calm the situation down.

“We try to prepare every match and everyone has the possibility. Let’s not look for mystery,” Coudet explained.

“It’s about being ready when your moment comes. I try to look at the opponents and what can suit us best. I try to see who is in the best condition to participate. There was no problem and nothing to clarify.”

To be fair to Coudet, this has been his line for a while. He has repeatedly framed Páez’s absences as tactical or physical decisions rather than anything disciplinary or dramatic.

Still, the bigger picture is becoming difficult to ignore. Within a short space of time, Páez has gone from game-changing substituteto Super classic flopto being left out of major matches again.

That is not exactly the stable development path Chelsea had in mind.

Chelsea and River may now want different things

There is also a very obvious tension emerging underneath all this. River are trying to win trophies right now. Chelsea are trying to develop a teenager. And those priorities do not always match.

Because of that, the next few weeks suddenly feel very important.

Chelsea invested around €23m (£19.6m) to sign Páez from Independiente del Valle because they viewed him as one of the elite young talents in South America.

The expectation was that River would help sharpen him after Strasbourg. Instead, the club may soon have to decide whether this environment is really helping him progress – or whether another change of plans is already needed.