Marcelo Gallardo highlighted that the club had been tracking him for some time and emphasized the need to give him an adaptation period. __IP__Considered one of the biggest prospects in South American football, Páez is seeking continuity at River Plate that he couldn't find in Europe, with the World Cup as a background objective and under the watchful eye of Chelsea, who own his rights. Páez arrived in Buenos Aires and will undergo a medical examination before signing his contract with River. The agreement with Chelsea is a free transfer, with no option to buy, but includes semi-annual buyback clauses. Buenos Aires, January 30 (NA) -- Ecuadorian Kendry Páez is already in Argentina to become a River Plate reinforcement, but his arrival comes amid strong questioning from France over his time at Racing Strasbourg. The French newspaper L'Equipe published a highly critical article about the Ecuadorian's departure, pointing directly to his off-field life and speaking of a 'foretold failure' marked by night outings and a lack of professionalism. The 18-year-old attacking midfielder joins the Núñez club on an 18-month loan from the French side, which had received him on loan from Chelsea in mid-2025. After a promising start, in which he was distinguished as the most outstanding youth player in Ligue 1 in September, his performance declined and he ended up losing prominence, with few minutes in the final stretch of the year. Beyond the logical irregularity of a player in an adaptation phase, L'Equipe was forceful in stating that Páez 'paid for his lifestyle,' mentioning repeated night outings and questioning the club's supervision. The media also held Strasbourg responsible for not having properly controlled his behavior off the field. In that context, the loan was terminated by mutual agreement.
