Director admits Manchester United ‘offer’ for £17m wonderkid but Ten Hag misses out

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Manchester United made a bid for Ecuador wonderkid Kendry Paez before Premier League rivals Chelsea agreed a deal that could rise to around £17 million.

That is according to Santiago Morales; general director at Independiente del Valle.

If Kendry Paez can emulate the success of the last Independiente graduate to swap the Estadio Banco Guayaquil for England’s top flight, then that 20 million euro fee will have been very well spent as far as Chelsea are concerned.

Moises Caicedo joined Brighton from the Ecuadorian outfit two years ago and has blossomed into one of the most complete young midfielders in the game under Graham Potter and Roberto de Zerbi.

Compatriot Paez, meanwhile, is on his way to Stamford Bridge in a deal which puts the 16-year-old wonderkid among the most expensive U18s in football history.

Chelsea beat Manchester United to Kendry Paez deal

“Today, I can say that Kendry Paez, in two years’ time, will go to Chelsea,” Morales tells The Standard, while admitting that an ‘offer’ also arrived on his desk from Old Trafford.

“We received offers from Borussia Dortmund and Manchester United. Chelsea were the team that showed the most interest.”

You could understand if United opted against matching Chelsea’s eye-watering offer. According to The Athletic, the Red Devils may be operating on a budget of around £100 million this summer due to Financial Fair Play pressures.

With a striker, a goalkeeper, a centre-half and at least one first-team midfielder required at Old Trafford, the logic of spending a fifth of their available funds on a teenager with fewer than 10 senior appearances under his belt would certainly have been questionable, to say the least.

Ten Hag may have to sell before he can reinforce his squad this summer.

The likes of Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay are among those most likely to be made available for transfer; West Ham and Newcastle reportedly keen.

Deals for the likes of Kim Min-Jae, Harry Kane, Victor Osimhen and co, meanwhile, are on ice until the ownership saga comes to a long overdue end.

Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim made yet another bid in midweek, though The Times believes that Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s own offer is likely to satisfy the Glazer’s demands.