Chelsea have never actually confirmed the signing of Dastan Satpayev, but the teenage wonderkid has now confirmed he is leaving Kairat Almaty ahead of his move to Chelsea.
Still only 17, Satpayev was given a standing ovation as he played his last game for Kairat Almaty. He was given a signed shirt with the number of games he had played for Kairat before the game by the owner.
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He also enjoyed a lap of honour at the end of the game, a 3-0 win over mid-table side Kyzyl-Zhar SK in which Satpayev scored twice. The brace took him to the top of the goalscoring charts in Kazakhstan.
Chelsea have asked for special dispensation to include Satpayev in Blues training and pre-season, with Satpayev only turning 18 on August 12. He will travel to Chelsea with his mother as early as next week.
Dastan Satpayev waves goodbye to boyhood club Kairat Almaty
The Kazakhstan wonderkid is a player Xabi Alonso has admired from afar. Kairat’s owner has recently confirmed that Alonso told him he has compiled reports on Satpayev, before becoming Chelsea boss.
Indeed, during his stint as Real Madrid manager, Alonso watched on as his Real Madrid side beat Kairat while in the Champions League. Now, Satpayev has posted a touching message on his Instagram page.
“Thank you, Kairat! This is where I spent most of my life growing, learning, and every day trying to be better. This club gave me the opportunity to take my first steps in big football and follow my dreams.
“Thanks to the fans for the support I always felt. Thanks to all the coaches in the academy, the coaching staff of the main team, the management of the club, Kairat Sovetaevich and all the partners of the team.
“It was a great honor for me to wear the yellow and black T-shirt. I will never forget this!”, he posted, with the youngster set for his move to Chelsea, a move that quite clearly is big for football in Kazakhstan.
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Having been mentored by Reece James’ father, with Nigel James flying out to Kazakhstan to get a grasp on the player’s mentality and the facilities in and around him, the £3.5m signing has a solid platform.
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According to The Mail’s Kieran Gill, Chelsea will take a look at Satpayev this summer before making a decision on whether to loan him out, with Ligue 1 side Strasbourg likely to be the beneficiaries.
But if the hype around him in his home country is anything to go by, there is a genuine chance that Alonso looks to keep Satpayev in and around the Chelsea first team, possibly starting out in the U21’s.
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