Chelsea Signs 17-Year-Old Star for £3.5M Ahead of Preseason Tour

Although Chelsea has not confirmed the signing of this player to date, rumors suggest that the young man will travel next week to join the team for preseason training under the orders of Xabi Alonso. We are talking about the jewel of Kazakh football, Dastan Satpayev. He is only 17, so the club will have to request a special permit to count on him during the preseason, which is scheduled for late June in Australia.

Satpayev is appreciated by all of Kazakhstan because, at such a young age, he has shown flashes of quality. He was formed in the academy of his city's team (and the biggest in his country), Kairat Almaty, debuting in 2024 at just 15, which is simply impressive. In addition, he had two major debuts in 2025: his first participation with Kazakhstan's senior national team and his first Champions League match.

The young player has 27 goals and 10 assists in 58 appearances for Kairat Almaty, numbers achieved in just two seasons. Taking that into account, along with his age, you understand the reason for Alonso's interest in securing Satpayev as soon as possible.

However, as we noted at the beginning, under FIFA regulations on signing underage players, Chelsea will need to request a special permit. He will turn 18 in August; however, the Blues want to have him available for the team's preseason, which begins in June, while he is still a minor. A situation that the club wants to resolve as soon as possible.

On June 17, he received a farewell tribute from his club and the fans, in a match in which they defeated Kyzyl-Zhar SK 3-0 and received a wave of applause, because, despite having only been at the club for two years, they see him as the future big star who will put Kazakhstan on the football map. Now, the player said goodbye through his Instagram account with the following message.

“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 club's management, Kairat Sovetaevich, and all the team's partners. It was a great honor for me to wear the yellow-and-black T-shirt. I will never forget this!"