Five new faces will arrive at Chelsea this summer, including Valentin Barco and Emmanuel Emegha. But there is enormous hype around another, in the form of Dastan Satpayev.
Barco is currently at the World Cup with Argentina, and nothing has actually been confirmed regarding the Strasbourg star’s arrival. However, Barco has waved goodbye to Strasbourg supporters on Instagram.
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Emegha has already said goodbye to his old teammates with his move confirmed, while Geovany Quenda will arrive from Sporting Lisbon. Left-back Denner, another teenager, is joining the club from Corinthians.
The other is Kazakhstan wonderkid Dastan Satpayev. It’s been 18 months in the making; Satpayev is set to join Chelsea this summer, and it appears he will be rocking up early to Cobham, ahead of pre-season.
Dastan Satpayev waves goodbye to Kairat Almaty teammates
Chelsea have moved to sign the 17-year-old after having a hand in 34 goals during his 58 games with the Kazakhstan side. A fee of £3.5m has been agreed, but there were doubts about when he would join.
Chelsea have requested special dispensation for Satpayev to train with the club this summer, despite Kairat being midway through the season. Rules state a foreign player can only join when he turns 18.
Satpayev will only become 18 on August 12, but Xabi Alonso is said to be excited by the teenage talent and wants him along for pre-season. On Wednesday night, he scored two goals in his final Kairat game.
Now, Satpayev has been spotted saying goodbye to his Kairat teammates ahead of his move to Chelsea, with The Mail reporting Satpayev will travel to Chelsea with his mother in the coming days.
Xabi Alonso and Nigel James have conducted Satpayev reports
Nigel James, father of Reece and Lauren, is known for his elite coaching and scouting, and with Satpayev, it is no different. James has been to Kairat’s facilities to judge Satpayev’s mentality and see the facilities.
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A good judge of character, James is believed to have delivered a glowing report to Chelsea’s hierarchy ahead of Satpayev’s move. Indeed, the youngster’s form has not only caught the attention of James.
While Real Madrid manager Alonso compiled reports on Satpayev. Real Madrid did play Kairat during his tenure, resulting in a 5-0 win, but those reports might have been because Alonso wanted him in Spain.
Clearly, Alonso will want to take a look at Satpayev this summer before deciding whether to send him on loan. Early indications suggest a loan to Strasbourg is in the offing, with Gary O’Neil leaving for Ipswich.
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