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New Blues talent has already been attracting plenty of attention on pre-season tour

Despite not officially becoming a Chelsea player until next month, 17-year-old striker Dastan Satpayev is already the talk of the club’s pre-season tour.

Amid the swathes of international talent in Chelsea’s squad and the blockbuster arrival of new manager Xabi Alonso, it is Satpayev who has garnered the most attention since the Blues landed in Australia last week.

Among the more than 5,000 supporters in attendance at Chelsea’s open training session at the Allianz Stadium on Sunday, it was notable how many were waving the Kazakhstan flag or wearing the kit of Satpayev’s former club, the reigning Kazakh Premier League champions FC Kairat.

Chelsea were aware of the fanfare that Satpayev’s presence might cause and the potential for the club to capitalise, so they made determined efforts to ensure the teenager would be allowed to participate on the pre-season tour before he is officially unveiled as a Chelsea player upon turning 18 on August 12.

Wonderkid: Chelsea agreed a deal for Kazakh teenager Dastan Satpayev last year

Chelsea have had a deal in place to sign Satpayev for around £3.3million plus add-ons since February 2025.

He is still, though, not officially a Chelsea player, so the club had to seek special dispensation from FC Kairat in order to name him as part of the 28-man travelling squad for their visit to Australia and Asia.

That means that despite the fact that Satpayev’s five-year contract, which includes the option of a further 12 months, does not begin until August, he is eligible to play in all of Chelsea’s pre-season friendlies.

The Blues kick-start their tour with a game against Western Sydney Wanderers on Tuesday before taking on London rivals Tottenham as part of the Sydney Super Cup on Saturday.

They then meet Serie A giants Juventus in Hong Kong, and AC Milan in Indonesia before rounding off their tour by facing Malaysian champions Johor Darul Ta'zim at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Johor.

With several key members of Chelsea’s squad on extended leave following the World Cup, Satpayev will hope to get some minutes under his belt and show his new employers what he is all about.