Chelsea’s ‘Ecuadorian Foden’ taken backwards loan in contrast to Man City’s ‘next Messi’

Premier League starlets Kendry Paez and Claudio Echeverri have both taken a step back with their respective loan moves this window.

That is the verdict of South American football expert Tim Vickery, who shared his surprise at the struggles of the £30million pair.

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The Chelsea and Manchester City youngsters have each flattered to deceive under the weight of early comparisons to Lionel Messi.

Paez, who burst onto the scene as the youngest debutant and scorer in the Ecuadorian top flight, agreed a deal to join the Blues in 2023.

However, the teenager didn’t officially complete his £17.5m switch to Stamford Bridge until after his 18th birthday last summer.

He linked up with Chelsea‘s squad at the Club World Cup, but failed to make a single matchday squad as his new club won the tournament.

Paez, whose former club, Independiente del Valle, also produced Moises Caicedo, joined partner club Strasbourg on loan in July.

The attacking midfielder, likened to Messi by former footballer Carlos Tenorio, managed just four starts across 15 Ligue 1 appearances under current Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior and his successor, Gary O’Neil.

His loan move was terminated at the start of the year, and Paez will spend the rest of the season at Argentine giants River Plate.

“This is proof that things aren’t going as hoped and expected,” South American football expert Vickery told talkSPORT’s H&J on Thursday.

“He’s 18. He is a kind of Ecuadorian Phil Foden. He burst on the scene, he was scoring goals at 15 in club football. At 16, he was playing and scoring for Ecuador in World Cup qualification.

“There are enormous hopes, but the last 18 months or so, they haven’t been good.”

Chelsea wonderkid joins River Plate on loan

Vickery continued: “Obviously, Mr Rosenior knows all about him from his time at Strasbourg, all about his progress or lack of it.

“There’s no doubt about it – It is a step backwards. You want to get him adapted to European football.

“It’s a step backwards to loan to River Plate…It’s a good club to go to. It’s a massive stadium.

“It’s the biggest capacity stadium in South America, and they’re going to make it bigger. They’re going to make it over 100,000.

“It’s a club that loves good football. They’re not in the Champions League this year, the Libertadores, but hopefully, if he’s taking one step back in the long term, it will be two steps forward.”

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Man City’s Echeverri ‘a massive talent’

Ironically, Paez’s fellow South American, Echeverri, left River Plate at the same age he has now joined on loan when he signed for City.

Pep Guardiola‘s men beat out interest from Chelsea for the Argentina U23 international, who similarly was touted as another Messi regen.

Unlike Paez, who has never made a competitive appearance for Chelsea, Echeverri made three appearances for Man City last season.

He was handed a surprise debut in the FA Cup final defeat to Crystal Palace and then scored his first goal for the club during a 6-0 win over UAE side Al-Ain at the Club World Cup.

Echeverri spent the first half of the campaign on loan with Bayer Leverkusen, who sacked Erik ten Hag after two league games.

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He started just three times across 11 appearances in all competitions, the last of which was in a 2-2 Champions League draw with Newcastle.

Echeverri sealed a switch to Girona two weeks ago, who became part of the global City Football Group (CFG) network in 2017.

Asked if the move was a surprise, Vickery added to talkSPORT: “A little bit, yes…I thought, and I hoped that he’d get more of a go at City.

“You remember when he came on, he made his debut in the FA Cup final. There were things happening straight away.

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“Electric little buzzsaw of a figure. He scored for City in the Club World Cup in the summer.

“Then it was a surprise to me that they loaned him to Germany. It hasn’t worked out there.

“He’s gone to Spain. I think he’s a massive talent. Hopefully, again, this is a case of step back to take steps forward in the future.

“I think he’s got something. I think he’s really, really talented.”