Liverpool join Man Utd and Chelsea in the race to sign 15-year-old Ecuadorian wonderkid

Liverpool will reportedly rival Chelsea and Manchester United for the signing of 15-year-old wonderkid Kendry Paez.

The Ecuadorian teenager, who was born in 2007, has attracted interest from the Premier League after impressing in his home country.

He has already broken into the U20 team of Independiente del Valle, the same club which Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo played for in Ecuador.

Paez's impressive form has seen him feature at a range of international tournaments including the U15 Salzburg Next Generation Trophy - where he was awarded Player of the Tournament, the U16 Adidas Cup and the U18 Copa Milo.

The creative midfielder has also featured for Ecuador's U17 side, scoring three times in five appearances.

As a result, Independiente have been inundated with interest.

Liverpool 'enter the race for Paez'

90min's Graeme Bailey reports that Liverpool have spoken to the representatives of Independiente over a deal for the midfielder. However, the Reds are expected to face plenty of competition.

Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano confirmed that Chelsea and Manchester United are also keen to sign Paez, with a decision on the youngster's future to be made "soon".

Romano tweeted: "Chelsea are in the race with Man Utd and Bayer Leverkusen to sign Kendry Paez, 2007-born Ecuadorian talent.

"Independiente del Valle's midfielder, Kendry Paez is highly rated — a decision to be made soon."

Reports in Ecuador claim Chelsea have already had a huge £14.8million bid rejected for Paez, while Brighton - who have a good relationship with the South American club - are also said to be keeping tabs.

Furthermore, Spanish outlet Defensa Central claim Paez is the subject of interest from Real Madrid. Such a move would be plausible considering the club's history in identifying South American talent in recent years, including Federico Valverde, Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Endrick.

But Independiente are likely to bide their time as interest in Paez continues to rise, with the teenager unable to move abroad until he turns 18 due to FIFA regulations.

Topics: Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, Premier League, Football, Transfers

Joe Adams

Joe is a Journalist for SPORTbible with a primary focus on football. He has previously covered a number of other sports including boxing, rugby and F1. Wishes he was born left-footed.

@joeadamsjourno