DASTAN Satpaev is a name you may not have heard of yet, but it soon could be one you won’t be able to forget.
The 17-year-old wears the number nine shirt for Kairat Almaty, and is one of the most exciting talents in world football.
And he has of course already been snapped up by Chelsea.
The versatile forward, who can play as a solo striker or out wide, will join the Stamford Bridge outlet when he turns 18 having been signed for approximately £3.3m, a record fee for a player from the Kazakh Premier League.
However, fans may not have to wait to see the talented Satpaev in the Champions League, after his Kairat Almaty side secured a 0-0 draw away to Celtic.
He, of course, has been the star in their underdog story to get this far with several goals and clutch moments – though he received a late yellow card against Celtic that will see him miss the second leg next week.
In the process, he became the youngest goalscorer in Champions League history with the opener against Olimpija Ljubljana in Slovenia last month.
If they manage to win the return leg in Kazakhstan, they will qualify for the Champions League group phase, where the youngster could even face off against Chelsea.
Satpaev, being so young, had his first major interview this week with Russian journalist Nobel Arustamyan.
He discussed why he wants to join the Blues, how he plans to compete with Lamine Yamal for the Ballon D’or and his trial at Chelsea that led to his signing.
Satpaev revealed: “We played one game, but in the first half we faced one team, and in the second half it was already another. You could say it felt like two short matches against different opponents.
“At first, the ball just wasn’t going our way, but once we took control of the game, chances started to appear. In the end, I managed to score three goals and provide one assist across those two halves.
Most read in The Sun
It was Joe Shields behind the signing of Satpaev from Kairat, who was also behind Chelsea’s moves for Cole Palmer, Romeo Lavia and Liam Delap, but the Blues had to fend off European competition to get the deal done.
Satpaev added: “Zenit, Real Sociedad, Benfica, Salzburg and Marseille. Chelsea paid the most attention out of all these clubs, so I chose them.”
The youngster certainly has big dreams, aware of how he wants to make his mark on football, as a player who could go on to be the best to EVER come from his nation.
He revealed: “Well, if we’re talking about sports, then I dream of playing in Europe and leaving my mark on European football.
“Of course, I want to win all those awards and trophies, and also help my country – the national team – qualify for the World Cup.
The young Kazakh also spoke on his ambition to compete with the very best talents in world football in the coming years, and why Chelsea is the best option for young players like him.
“My favorite player at the moment is Lamine Yamal. I’d love to compete with him in the future,” he added.
“If everything goes well, that will be at Chelsea when I turn 18.
“Honestly, I’m not sure if it’s the best option, but I think Chelsea knows how to work with young players.
“The club really invests in them. Even if it comes to a loan, they can find a good club for me. Of course, I’ll try to establish myself in the first team at Chelsea and become a leader there.”
The confident youngster is not bothered about claims he may become a victim of Chelsea’s “scattergun” attitude to buying any young player with an ounce of ability.
“Of course that’s possible, even if this is the case; I’ll prove myself so they’ll change their opinion about me,” he said.
SunSport also spoke exclusively to Olzhas, a Kazakh scout who has been watching Satpaev since the age of 15, and has seen him rise to becoming one of the world’s finest young players.
He told us: “According to his coach, there was a season where Kairat’s under-17 team won the championship with a goal difference of 186 to zero, and in that campaign Satpaev scored 54 goals with 50 assists in just 19 matches.
“The stats speak for themselves, 20 goal contributions in a season at just 16, including three goals and one assist in the Champions League qualifiers. Chelsea really hit the jackpot here, and the most important thing now will be how they smoothly integrate him into the first team.
“He is probably the most gifted footballer from Kazakhstan since the country gained independence.”
