Brighton to rival Chelsea for 17-year-old South American wonderkid ...Middle East

Another South American wonderkid has captured the attention of some of the biggest clubs in Europe.

Sergio Aguero, Roberto Firmino and Luis Suarez are just some of the stars to light up the Premier League over recent years.

And now a 17-year-old from Ecuador could be the latest to follow in their footsteps.

Darwin Guagua is part of Ecuador’s emerging golden generation of players who have been tipped to shine at the 2026 World Cup.

The Independiente del Valle midfielder recently made headlines in his home country after making his international debut against Chile in March before he had played a senior game for the club.

“Darwin has the capacity to play in attack, he is not scared to take risks with the ball, always well-positioned,” Independiente head coach Javier Rabanal told The i Paper.

“He has great technique. He is an outstanding, really smart player. You can talk with him about tactics and ask him all sorts of questions and he will tell you the answers.

“I could say three or four other names but if I had to put a bet on someone I think Darwin will be the next one [to move to Europe].”

The i Paper understands that Brighton and Chelsea are among the clubs tracking Guagua, who will turn 18 in November. Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen and Paris Saint-Germain are also monitoring the youngster’s progress. If a deal is agreed he won’t be able to join until after his 18th birthday.

Chelsea signed Kendry Paez from Independiente for £17.27m in 2023, and it is likely Guagua could command a similar fee this summer.

Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo began his career at IDV before moving to Brighton (Photo: Getty)

Based in Sangolqui, a small suburb on the outskirts of Ecuador’s capital Quito, Independiente (or IDV for short) have developed a reputation for producing world-class talent.

Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo, Bayer Leverkusen’s Piero Hincapie and Paris Saint-Germain’s Willian Pacho are some of their more famous exports, while 17-year-old midfielder Justin Lerma will join Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2026.

Independiente, who were founded in 1958, play their home games at the 12,000-capacity Estadio Banco Guayaquil.

The club competed in the third division until they were taken over by a consortium led by local entrepreneur Michel Deller in 2007.

They won the Ecuadorian Serie A for the first time in 2021 and are two-time Copa Sudamericana champions.

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Under Rabanal, Independiente are currently top of the table, after finishing second the previous season.

“Michel has a vision to create a club that can improve the country not only in terms of football but also in terms of education,” the Spaniard said.

“We have our own school. Every player is a different human being and is an individual project themselves. We want to give them tools for life.

“Of course when we have a player who goes to Europe that is a big success but not everyone can be a top professional.

“Michel wants this to be something bigger than a club that wins trophies. He is really involved with the club. He is always here, asking how we are doing.”

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