Birmingham City, Celtic & Blackburn eye Chelsea man who could be 'better than Messi'

It’s believed that both Birmingham and Blackburn are keen on a deal to sign Paez when the winter market opens in January.

However, the pair will face competition from Scottish giants Celtic, who are also interested in signing the 19-year-old.

The playmaker previously spent time on loan with Strasbourg, with the French club owned by the same group as the Blues.

But he was only capable of making 15 appearances in Ligue 1, including four starts, scoring on just one occasion before going to River Plate January 2026.

It’s understood that Chelsea have been encouraged by his performances at underage level, and are now seeking a loan deal again in the upcoming January market.

Blackburn and Birmingham are both keen on a deal, but there are clubs from across Europe keeping tabs on the player’s progress, including Trabzonspor and KV Mechelen.

The Belgian side reportedly made an approach last summer, and are aiming to be at the front of the queue again in the new year.

Birmingham and Blackburn’s Championship form

Birmingham moved into top spot in the Championship table last weekend ahead of the November international break, with a 2-1 win against Swansea City lifting them ahead of Middlesbrough in second.

Meanwhile, Blackburn Rovers moved up to 13th with a 2-1 win of their own at home to West Ham, with eight points separating the two clubs chasing Paez’s signature.

Chris Davies’ side will be targeting promotion back to the Premier League in the second half of the campaign, while the Lancashire outfit will be aiming to break into the top eight.

Birmingham will return to action against Stoke City on 21 November, while Rovers will travel to face bitter rivals Burnley the following afternoon.

Kendry Paez signing could be a gamble worth taking for Birmingham and Blackburn

Paez wasn’t ready for top flight football in France last year, and his underwhelming performances reflected that.

But he’s now had time with Chelsea’s underage team to develop his game and better prepare for senior football, as he is still only 19 and moving from South America to Europe isn’t an easy transition.

There are no guarantees that his improvement is real because the step up from youth football to senior minutes is tough, but this move could be a gamble worth taking.

If Paez can make that step up, then he could bring the kind of attacking flair and creativity in the second half of the season that can bolster a promotion push for either Birmingham or Blackburn.