Chelsea’s 16-year-old wonderkid Kendry Paez to avoid serious punishment after attending strip club

Chelsea’s teenage wonderkid Kendry Paez is expected to avoid any serious punishment after being taken to a New York strip club by senior members of the Ecuador squad before the team’s defeat to Italy.

Paez, who is 16 years old, was filmed with 23-year-old Gonzalo Plata and 32-year-old Robert Arboleda in a strip club on the night before the friendly against Italy last Sunday.

Chelsea are likely to leave the matter in the hands of the Ecuador national federation and Independiente del Valle, the Ecuadorian club he will play for until he officially moves to Stamford Bridge after his 18th birthday.

It is expected that officials at both his country and current club will speak to Paez about the incident and remind him of his responsibilities, but it is likely to be the older players who receive the serious punishments.

Reports in Ecuador have claimed that those held responsible for the trip to the strip club could be dropped from the national team. While it is accepted that Paez was naive, his age and the pressure on him to follow the older players is expected to be taken into consideration.

It has also been noted that, unlike his seniors, Paez was not filmed handling any money and was not seen with any alcohol.

Those close to Paez believe this will represent a valuable lesson in his development and are disappointed with the failure of the senior Ecuador players to lead by example.

A source said: “The boy clearly looks uncomfortable on the film and he is not joining in with some of the things going on. He has made a mistake, but that mistake was to let the older players lead him.”

The legal age to drink and attend strip clubs in America is 21. There is no suggestion Paez lied about his age to gain entry to the club. 

Chelsea signed Paez, rated one of the top young prospects in the world, for £17.27 million from Independiente del Valle, with an agreement that the youngster will join on his 18th birthday – May 4 next year.

He visited England last December to train and watch Chelsea with more trips in the pipeline, but he will continue to play for Independiente until he can formally complete his big-money move.

Chelsea’s £115 million record signing Moises Caicedo was filmed in a different nightclub on the night after the Ecuador game and did not break any rules.

In a statement, the Ecuador federation said: “Given the facts of public knowledge, the FEF expresses the following: The official delegation had free time on Friday, March 22, from 2pm to 8.30pm, a schedule that was fully complied with.

“Images of events contrary to the values and principles that we defend and promote as an institution have been disseminated, which will be the subject of analysis for future calls. We reiterate our commitment to Ecuadorian soccer.”