Former Manchester United defender and Ecuador captain Antonio Valencia has warned Chelsea wonderkid Kendry Paez to 'remain humble' ahead of his impending move to the Premier League.

The 16-year-old sensation, who joined Chelsea on a £17.6million deal from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle in the summer, is set to officially move to Stamford Bridge when he turns 18 in May 2025, with his move being blocked by FIFA regulations. Now he's set to start in his fourth consecutive match for his country last night against Venezuela.

Paez became the youngest South American footballer of all time to score a goal in a FIFA World Cup qualifier at 16 years and 161 days when he linked up with Moises Caicedo in Ecuador's 2-1 win over Bolivia back in October, giving supporters a glimpse at the potential future at Stamford Bridge.

The acquisition of Paez was just one of the many young talents that the Blues have invested in over the past 12 months under what has been a youthful project. The teenager could join the likes of Cesare Casadei, Andrey Santos and Angelo Gabriel in a future XI under Pochettino - with all four having been loaned out to other clubs for first-team experience while the manager figures out his squad.

The Blues boss has already spoken about the project since his tenure at Stamford Bridge began back in the summer, and continued the spending spree over the next few weeks including overseeing the arrivals of Cole Palmer, Romeo Lavia, Lesley Ugochukwu and Djordje Petrovic.

Speaking to Chelsea's website, Pochettino said: "It's always about building a team. It's a young squad, a team that still need to know each other. Only with time and training can we provide the team with what it needs. It's why it is only a matter of time, no doubt.

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"We need to be calm in the way we judge players and the team. I think we are growing and very good things are coming. You can feel that, even if sometimes we have some ups and downs. But, in the end, we will succeed together, for sure."

Now Valencia has handed down precious advice to Paez, who he believes could become one of the best young talents in the world, Having already scored three goals in three straight games back in October in the Ligapro Serie A Segunda Etapa, Paez is showing off his skills which the ex-Premier League star hopes can translate back to English football.

He told Ecuadorian outlet Ole: "I had the opportunity to see Paez in training and games. I think he is intelligent, his level is getting better and better. He has to continue enjoying it because he is only 16 years old.

"He has that responsibility, but he doesn't let the shirt weigh him down. He recently scored a great goal against Bolivia. He has had good performances in the national team.

"He is a serious prospect who is improving. He plays for one of the best teams in Ecuador, Independiente, and they are taking care of him. I know the people around him are very good and he is going in the right direction. He has to remain humble and continue thinking about raising his level."