Today we have another guest feature from PMC III, please enjoy! Article begins below:

May 27th 2003, In Viña Del Mar, the twin city of Valparaíso, Paolo Guajardo was born. During his childhood Paolo Guajardo spent his time at Santiago Wanderers (my favourite Football Manager experience) in the Primera B, Chile’s 2nd tier. Santiago Wanderers has a proud history of developing exceptional players including Elías Figueroa, one of the most influential figures in Chilean football and widely regarded as one of the world’s finest defenders of his era, playing alongside players such as Franz Beckenbauer. Paolo took advantage of that opportunity by embracing the club’s tradition and using it as a foundation to further develop his own game and establish himself. Paolo started his youth career with the Wanderers in 2012, and started to establish himself in the eyes of others throughout the years. In 2018 and 2019 Paolo’s continued development as a young player began to attract attention on a national level, earning him two friendly appearances for Chile’s U17 National Team. In 2021, Paolo took a significant step forward in his development, earning his promotion to Santiago Wanderers’ first team while also receiving a call up to the Chile U20 National Team. His progression at the international level saw him make 12 appearances and score one goal for the U20 side. After giving Paolo the exposure to higher level training and his time with the U20 team, he quickly took over the starting role at Santiago, and never looked back. After 54 appearances and 5G’s/7A’s contributed over those two years, mid-table Primera Division club Audax Italiano bought him for an estimated fee of €461k. The U20 Chilean National from Viña Del Mar won the hearts of many with his speed, flash and knack to get the ball into the 18-yard box. As Paolo’s reputation continued to grow, Audax Italiano became the latest club to take notice. Now at a point of transition as Audax Italiano searches for its identity, Paolo finds himself in an environment where he can finally begin to blossom. The Viña del Mar product has the opportunity to redefine his own story while helping lead a new look Audax Italiano toward a brighter future.

Technical Skill

Paolo Guajardo is a direct player with a natural instinct for getting to the goal. Paolo thrives within space with the ball at his feet. From his days at Santiago Wanderers to the flashes we have seen at Audax, he will take on whoever, whenever it may be. In any 1v1 scenario Paolo knows he can win and is already thinking of the next play. When Paolo is given the opportunity to shoot, his technique allows him to generate decent power while keeping control of his spot. As a right footed attacker he naturally prefers to put the ball onto his stronger foot where he is most dangerous, but his left foot is capable of preventing defenders from simply showing him one direction. His preference is often to create the angle for his right foot before pulling the trigger, making his ability to cut inside and find space around the edge of the box an important part of his attacking game. Rather than depending on strength, Paolo’s smarts help him look for placement when the opportunity arises, offering him a variety of options to threaten the goal. For a player whose style revolves around taking defenders on and creating shooting opportunities, improving his consistency and decision making in those crucial times will be critical to achieving his full potential as a dangerous attacking player. He excels in tight spaces, so we naturally see him occupy the half spaces, but he will not be shy to take his man out wide to spread out his options. Once in the wide areas, Paolo’s crossing ability is on display. Solid technique to get himself on the ball firmly, and drives the ball in fast and with purpose. Paolo’s low crosses are his bread and butter. As soon as he gets a step on his defender out wide, he plays crosses quickly, able to surprise the opposition and reduce their time to reposition. This was evident against Universidad de Chile (July 26th), where he fooled and dribbled past the Venezuelan centreback Bianneider Tamayo near the byline before nearly setting up his teammate Franco Troyansky with a nice cutback.

Athleticism and Defensive Ability

Paolo has great speed in short and long bursts with some tremendous shifty ability. If you give him too much room he will burn you with his speed. Jumping ability isn’t his strong suit due to his smaller size, but he has solid strength and a low center of gravity to hold his own against bigger players. Paolo plays at full intensity, constantly looking to sprint into space, press defenders, and make things happen. His willingness to press high can also create chances of its own, as seen against Vasco da Gama (May 6th), when he pressured Vasco Da Gama’s centreback Lucas Piton near the edge of the 18-yard box, forcing a turnover that immediately set up teammate Michael Fuentes, who was unable to finish the opportunity. That explosive style gives him an edge in short bursts, but learning when to conserve his energy and manage his effort over a full 90 minutes will be an important next step in his development.

Defensively, Paolo is good when played up front. Paolo is not one to shy away from a physical battle, showing the bravery to go into duels regardless of who stands in his way. That willingness to compete often sees him finding the ball in the dirty areas of the pitch where he can make things happen. Paolo’s natural spring into action attacking ability is something that can be used in a system to counter. He has a good knack for tracking and plays well when keeping his man wide and playing goal side. Paolo times his tackles well and finds himself getting in on the ball more than not. Due to his skills on the ball, he would excel in a possession based club. 

Mentality

Paolo is someone you want on your team. He is competitive and wants to win. Paolo will put his body on the line and has shown a willingness to take fouls to put his team in better spots. His versatile playing history is an indication of Paolo’s ability to learn new roles. He’s played wherever he’s been asked to over his career. Paolo shows strong decision making when choosing whether to be selfish with the ball and or pass first. Paolo is a brave and fierce competitor who is always looking for the next challenge, whether that means making another run, competing for another ball, or pushing the team forward. He is highly coachable and willing to do whatever is asked of him, while his mentality allows him to constantly move forward and bring those around him with him.

Audax Italiano – Los Tanos Nubes

In 2025, after finishing 6th place and getting into Copa Sudamericana, Audax Italiano were looking to build off that season with Gustavo Lema at the helm. Fast forward 15 games into the Primera Chile season, and Audax are sitting in a relegation battle after having been knocked out in the group stage of the Copa Sudamericana. Lema rotated his formations throughout the season, but Paolo was most often deployed at fullback or wingback. Audax Italiano are a solid defensive team, currently have the fourth most clean sheets in the Primera Division with 6, but if you can’t create or put balls in the net, you can never get more than a draw. Audax are in the bottom half of the league in Shots on target, chances created, touches in the opposition box, crosses, and goals. Lema rotated his formations throughout the season, but Paolo was most often deployed at fullback or wingback. The concern is that positioning him there too frequently can take away from the very qualities that set him apart as an attacker. If Audax is looking for greater production in the areas where Paolo is strongest, asking him to spend most of his time in a deeper role may be working against both the player and the team.

After a tough first half of the season, Audax Italiano relieved Gustavo Lema of his duties and replaced him with Deportivo Alaves Assistant Coach Patricio Graff. With Graff now as the gaffer in charge, Under Patricio Graff, Paolo has been given greater freedom to influence the attack from the right, where his pace and ability to take on defenders can be used closer to the final third. In Graff’s first league win, Paolo provided an early example of that role, beating his defender on the right before sending a low cross into the box for Giovani Chiaverano to finish. It is a role that allows Paolo to play to his strengths: driving forward, attacking space, and creating opportunities rather than being primarily responsible for the defensive work of a wingback. Four games into the new regime, Audax has already looked more alive offensively. For a player who has spent much of his career trying to find the right role, Graff’s approach may finally give Paolo the space to turn his potential into something tangible.

Ability, Potential, and Comparison

The past two years may have stalled the development of Paolo slightly, but his talent has never gone away. Under new management, we can hope Paolo goes on the same trajectory as he did when he was being heavily scouted at Santiago Wanderers. He is settling in and becoming more confident, so this will give him a better chance of showing his true ability. 

If Paolo is given the consistency and freedom to play as a winger or attacking midfielder, he has the tools to become a strong, consistent starter in the Chilean Primera División. His development has stalled somewhat during Audax’s period of uncertainty, but consistent game time in a system that better suits his strengths could help him regain that momentum. From there, leagues such as Spain’s Segunda División, Italian Serie B, the Czech First League, or Hungarian NB 1 Division could provide realistic next steps as he continues to develop and prove himself at a higher level. If Graff continues to give him the freedom to attack and Paolo makes the jump in consistency that his talent suggests he can, those opportunities become much more attainable.

Paolo now has an opportunity in front of him, much like the one his former teammate and fellow Viña del Mar native Lucas Cepeda found during his rise from the Chilean league to a higher level. Cepeda’s success shows what can become possible when the right opportunities come along, but Paolo’s journey will ultimately be his own. The opportunity is now in front of Paolo, and it will be up to him to seize it, make the most of his chances, and turn his potential into the kind of performances that open the next door.

For player profiles, one stood out for the traits he shares with Paolo: a young Federico Chiesa. Before developing into the established attacker he is today, Chiesa’s game was built around direct running, explosive movement and a willingness to attack defenders. He could operate from either wing, find the half spaces, drive forward with the ball and make aggressive runs beyond the defensive line. Those are qualities that can also be seen in Paolo, who is at his best when given the freedom to attack space, take on his man and push the game toward goal.

The comparison is not about saying Paolo is Chiesa, but about recognizing some of the same ingredients that were present in Chiesa’s development. Young Chiesa still had areas to refine, particularly in his decision making, consistency and final product, before those qualities developed into the more complete attacking game he has today. Paolo is at a similar stage of needing those attacking instincts to become more consistent. If he can continue developing his finishing, decision making and ability to manage his intensity while playing in a role that keeps him higher up the pitch, there is a clear pathway for those raw qualities to develop into a more complete and reliable attacking profile.

Perhaps no prospect was more destined for Patrick’s Prospect Picks than Paolo Guajardo. Once the prodigal son of my favourite FM save, now Audax Italiano’s hidden gem.

-PMC III