Manchester United made an offer to sign South American youngster Kendry Paez this summer, according to Ecuadorian media.
As reported by Sport Witness, it is unclear if United are still interested in the 15-year-old, after they turned down an approach at the time.
Páez currently plays for Independiente del Valle in Ecuador and has been promoted to the first team for the 2023 season, despite his young age.
Described as a ‘jewel’, the midfielder is drawing interest from across Europe.
However, his current club are in no hurry to accept offers for their young prodigy and have a plan for his long-awaited departure.
It is reported that Páez will not be able to leave Ecuador for Europe until he is 18 years old and any agreement made before then will see him remain in Del Valle until then.
The rationale behind the idea is not to rush young players into the cutthroat world of European football, with the club describing any move as “fiery steps”.
Del Valle insists that he wants Paez to be ‘ready’, both physically and mentally for any high-profile move, before negotiating his transfer.
This type of deal is common for South American youth players, with the most high-profile recent example coming with Endrick’s mega-money transfer to Real Madrid.
Endrick, 16, has agreed to move to the Spanish team but will stay at the current club, Palmeiras, until 2024.
It hasn’t been reported how much United were willing to pay for the rising star, but as seen with Endrick, these deals don’t always come cheap.
If United return for Páez, they will have to wait until 2025 to see him at Old Trafford.
