Chelsea starlet Kendry Paez has rejected comparisons with the likes of superstars Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The starlet claimed that he does not want to be any of those players and will rather forge his own path.
Currently playing for Independiente del Valle, the teenage sensation is considered one of the best talents to come out of Ecuador.
Chelsea confirmed that they had signed the 16-year-old attacking midfielder in June and that he would move to Stamford Bridge when he turns 18 in 2025.
The Blues, according to Goal, paid a hefty €20 million fee to sign him ahead of German giants Borussia Dortmund.
As is natural with up-and-coming footballers, Paez has also been compared to the greatest players of this generation, Ronaldo and Messi.
The youngster, however, has played the comparisons down, claiming that he wants to continue being himself and make his own name.
Speaking to ESPN Deportes, he said, “Messi of Ecuador? Ronaldo of Ecuador? Maradona of Ecuador? I’m Kendry, I’m going to give the name to Ecuador. I’m going to continue being me.
He then went on to dub Lionel Messi the greatest player of all time, claiming that comparisons with the Barcelona legend did not make sense.Paez added:
“They can’t compare me to Messi. Messi is something very, very special, he is the best, you can’t compare me to him.”