Chelsea might have discovered another gem in the transfer market, with one of their future players having been compared to none other than Cristiano Ronaldo. The west Londoners were among the Premier League‘s busiest clubs in the summer but one of their signings went under the radar. After the window closed, they agreed a deal to land teenage forward Dastan Satpayev ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
Satpayev, who currently plays for Kazakh champions Kairat Almaty, is already a central figure for both club and country. At the end of last season, he scored the crucial goal in Kairat’s game against Astana to clinch their fifth domestic title. It marked his 14th goal of a hugely impressive club campaign, which also included a further seven assists.
The youngster has been impressing at international level, too. Over the weekend, he scored his first goal for Kazakhstan as they earned a hard-fought draw against Belgium.
Afterwards, he earned high praise from his team-mate Askhat Tagybergen, who said: “Dastan is very calm and a top-level professional. I haven’t seen professionals like him since Cristiano Ronaldo.”
Satpayev is not expected to initially join up with Chelsea’s senior squad, but he will become a big player for the Blues if he can get anywhere close to Ronaldo’s level.
Following his heroics at the end of last season, Kairat chairman Qairat Boranbayev showered him in praise by hailing him as the league’s best player.
“Dastan is the best player of the season,” he declared in an interview with Vesti. “He has performed exceptionally well for his age, and this has been noted not only by us but also by our opponents in the Champions League.
“He’s a bright Kazakhstani star who we hope will continue to develop. He will play for Kairat next season, as he cannot leave for England until he turns 18. He will be with us until [next] June-August.”
Satpayev is considered a once-in-a-generation talent in his native country and looks set for a bright future in the game. However, he will likely be loaned out to refine his craft before being introduced to Chelsea’s first team.
The reigning Club World Cup champions already boast an embarrassment of riches in the attacking positions and will have even more quality at their disposal next season.
Kendry Paez is expected to be integrated by the Blues in 2026/27, while Emanuel Emegha has signed a pre-contract agreement to join Chelsea from sister club Strasbourg.
Sporting CP winger Geovany Quenda is also set to arrive at Stamford Bridge next summer for a fee in the region of £40million.