Chelsea have made a habit of signing some of the world's best young talents in recent years, including Estevão Willian, Marc Guiu, and Aaron Anselmino.
The latest addition is Kazakhstani teenager Dastan Satpaev, whose current club, Kairat, confirmed on Monday that he will join the Blues when he turns 18 next summer.
"Congratulations on the most important step in Dastan's career!" Kairat wrote on Instagram. "We are proud of his accomplishments and confident that an exciting new challenge awaits him!"
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea will pay £3.3 million for Satpaev – a record transfer for the Kazakhstan Premier Liga. The 16-year-old will sign a five-year deal with the option of an additional year.
While relatively unknown outside of his homeland, Satpaev is considered one of the brightest young talents Kazakhstan has ever produced.
Here are five things you need to know about the young striker.
1) He's Kairat's youngest-ever player
Satpaev made his professional debut for Kairat last year at just 15 years old, becoming the youngest player in the club’s history.
"My dream has finally come true," he wrote on Instagram after the QFL League Cup game against Akzhayik Uralsk, which finished 9-0 to Kairat.
2) He's a goal machine
Though he made his debut for Kairat's first team last year, Satpaev spent most of the season with the club's Under-18 team in the QJ League.
In just 12 games, he delivered an outstanding return of 19 goals and six assists – form that saw him named the QJ League's Most Valuable Player of the Season.
3) He's now Kairat's number 9
Despite being just 16, Satpaev has been given the number nine shirt for the 2024/25 Premier Liga season, as Kairat begins its title defense in March.
Ahead of the new campaign, he has already made an impact in the UEFA Youth League, scoring once and providing one assist in four appearances.
4) He's rapid
According to Wide Scouting, a group specialising in lower-league football scouting, Satpaev is a "rapid and quick-to-accelerate striker with elite finishing."
Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig has also praised him, highlighting his "electric pace and acceleration," along with his "low centre of gravity, superb agility, body balance, changes of pace, and coordination."
Kulig notes that Satpaev thrives when playing alongside another forward in a traditional 4-4-2 formation.
5) He's captained his country
In addition to his rising star status at Kairat, Satpaev has already been named captain of Kazakhstan's Under-17 team, scoring four goals in his first 10 appearances.
He netted his first competitive goal in a European Under-17 Championship qualifier against Kosovo last tear, but is unlikely to feature in the tournament itself, with Kazakhstan having only earned one point from their first three group matches.
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