A lot consideration will give attention to 17-year-old striker Dastan Satpaev, who has 5 caps for Kazakhstan and is ready to hitch Chelsea in a £4m transfer subsequent summer time.
Chelsea scouts noticed Satpaev starring for Kairat’s Below-17 workforce as they received the Helvetia Cup in Switzerland in opposition to groups together with Paris St-Germain and Marseille.
Talks started quickly after and had been finalised in February 2025, which could lead on him to turn into the primary Kazakh to play within the Premier League.
Satpaev additionally had a two-week trial at Cobham coaching centre, the place he took pictures with Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez, Christopher Nkunku and membership legend John Terry.
Membership president Boranbayev instructed the Russian-language documentary Nobel that Satpaev performed in a behind-closed-doors under-21 pleasant, scoring a hat-trick and including an help.
In the identical movie, Satpaev acknowledged curiosity from Zenit St Petersburg, Actual Sociedad, Benfica, Salzburg and Marseille, and membership officers mentioned they’d rival presents from Benfica and Hoffenheim. There’s additionally a clip of a former youth coach saying he scored 54 objectives in 19 league video games throughout the 2021 academy season.
Satpaev already speaks some English having anticipated a transfer to Europe, studying even earlier than Chelsea’s method, and considered one of his dad and mom is predicted to accompany him to London.
Within the meantime, Kairat and Chelsea have an association to assist Satpaev whereas he stays in Kazakhstan, with Blues scouts offering suggestions throughout his ultimate season at his boyhood membership. They are going to have been impressed along with his 12 objectives and 7 assists in 26 home matches this season.
Satpaev is a quick striker, typically in contrast by team-mates to Manchester Metropolis legend Sergio Aguero. He turned the second-youngest goalscorer in Champions League qualifying historical past by netting in opposition to Olimpija Ljubljana at 16 years, 10 months and 26 days previous.
In his first UK interview with BBC Sport, Satpaev mentioned: “As a baby, I cherished soccer and infrequently performed with boys older than me with my brother’s pals. My dad and mom anxious I might get injured, as I performed on sandy and rocky pitches in opposition to larger boys.
“We solely took breaks to drink juice. Others seen my pace, and finally my grandfather advised I take trials at Kairat, the place my profession started.
“Kairat tremendously supported me with its infrastructure, coaches and participant growth method. It additionally helped me turn into mentally sturdy, keep targeted, and embrace arduous work from an early age.
“We carried out properly at worldwide youth tournaments, which attracted a proposal from a membership like Chelsea.”
When discussing Satpaev, individuals rapidly point out his work ethic. Having managed him at youth and senior ranges, Urazbakhtin defined: “We needed to forbid him from coaching.
“He was all the time sneaking out into the health club or again on to the pitches after periods. We would snicker as a result of [we would] see him practising at nighttime by means of the window and we needed to inform him to cease, however he now understands the significance of restoration.”
Satpaev is a reluctant poster boy for Kazakh soccer.
“God keen, my ambition is to turn into an expert soccer participant who’s aggressive on the European degree, to indicate that Kazakhstan additionally has many gifted gamers, and by no means to cease after what I’ve already achieved,” he added.
“I need to by no means quit, proceed working arduous and attain my objectives.”
About the Author
