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Despite Chelsea's remarkable work in trimming their squad this summer, it was not a 100 per cent success. Chelsea pair Kendry Paez and Gabriel Slonina are in difficult situations after failing to secure a move away from Stamford Bridge before Tuesday’s summer transfer window deadline closed. Chelsea announced as many as seven outgoings on Tuesday of the summer transfer window, with a few more loans confirmed after the 11pm deadline on September 1. From Enzo Fernandez’s record-breaking £125 million switch to Manchester City to Dujuan Richards’ loan move to League One side AFC Wimbledon, there were plenty of Chelsea departures late in the window. Paez and Slonina, however, remain at Chelsea, and according to Nizaar Kinsella, it was not for lack of trying. What now for Paez and Slonina? Paez returned to Chelsea last week after his planned year-long loan at River Plate was terminated early. He spent the first half of last season at Strasbourg before joining the Argentine club on a one-year deal in January. So, he was supposed to stay at River Plate until the end of 2026. However, the Ecuador international played only 461 minutes in 14 appearances for River Plate. The lack of minutes likely played a big part in the decision to cut his loan short. Chelsea are reported to have made attempts to find a Premier League or a top-end Championship loan for the 19-year-old, but nothing materialised. Similarly, Slonina could not find a suitable move in time. Since Teddy Sharman-Lowe is staying at Chelsea, he is expected to be the third-choice goalkeeper behind Emiliano Martinez and Mike Penders. Slonina is therefore pushed to fourth choice, which is far from ideal for his development and career overall. His last appearance in senior football was almost two years ago, when he was on loan at League One side Barnsley in 2024/25. Chelsea have also filled their six-player international loan quota, with Robert Sanchez on loan at Italian side Como and Dario Essugo on loan at RC Strasbourg as the fifth and sixth players. Therefore, while there are other leagues whose transfer windows remain open, such as Turkiye’s Super Lig, the Netherlands’ Eredivisie, and the Belgian Pro League, overseas loans are no longer on the cards for the pair. Slonina is already 22, so he is obviously not exempt from the FIFA loan rules. Despite being an under-21 player, Paez has not spent enough time at Chelsea to qualify as a club-trained player and is therefore not eligible for exemption. If they were to join any overseas club in the next couple of days, it would have to be on permanent deals. The alternative is to stay at Chelsea while likely being left out of Xabi Alonso’s 25-man Premier League squad. Paez remains under a long-term contract at Chelsea until 2033, while Slonina has only two years left on his deal, until 2028.