Chelsea have struck gold with the fortuitous development surrounding their imminent acquisition, 17-year-old forward Dastan Satpaev, who is poised to take on Celtic in the Champions League play-offs. Satpaev’s current club, Kairat Almaty, have progressed to the final qualification stage, marking a significant leap forward from their last European outing during the 2022/23 season when they bowed out in the Conference League’s second preliminary round.
Tuesday saw Kairat triumph over Slovan Bratislava in a dramatic penalty shoot-out, setting the stage for a captivating clash with Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic. This encounter represents the pinnacle of Satpaev’s burgeoning career, particularly notable as he only began playing senior football earlier this year. Prior to his rapid ascension, he was deeply embedded in the youth system, often competing against much older players.
Over the past eight months, Chelsea capitalised on the young Kazakh’s meteoric rise, securing his signing for a fee shy of £3 million. Satpaev has seamlessly transitioned into senior football, tallying eight goals and seven assists in just 19 appearances within the Kazakhstan Premier League. Kairat currently lead the division by three points over Astana, a club familiar to Chelsea from their previous season’s Conference League group stage encounters.
It was during Chelsea’s arduous December journey to Almaty that they finalised the deal for Satpaev. While he remains with Kairat until he turns 18 next summer, there’s a tantalising prospect that he could amass up to eight appearances in the Champions League proper by then, further honing his skills before his eventual arrival at Stamford Bridge.
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