Chelsea signs 13-year-old South African Camden Schaper for record R17 million fee
Chelsea has signed 13-year-old South African football prodigy Camden Schaper for a record R17 million fee, marking him as the most expensive signing ever for a player of his age. Photo: Camden Schaper on Instagram
Image: Camden Schaper on Instagram
Sensational football talent Camden Schaper has signed for Chelsea in a deal that has seen the youngster become the most expensive signing ever for a 13-year-old.
The deal, according to The Sun UK, is said to be worth R17 million. The club has not made an announcement on the signing, but that is standard practice for top English clubs not to comment on youth deals.
Originally from Benoni, Schaper has already been on the books of Blackburn Rovers Under-14s, as he scored 45 goals and provided 65 assists in the 2024/2025 season.
The attacking midfielder’s exploits have seen him garner interest from the biggest clubs in England like Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester United which IOL Sport reported two months ago.
The Blues Secure Teenage Prodigy Schaper’s Signature
Schaper began his youth career at SuperSport United. It was there that his exploits first began to make headlines, most notably in the Under-11 side’s tour to Spain in 2021.
After relocating last year to England, Schaper began the next step in his journey with Blackburn.
The prodigy whose middle name is Cesc, presumably named after Spain and Arsenal legend Cesc Fabregas, had already signed a major sponsorship deal last year with Adidas.
Announcing the sponsorship on his Instagram profile, Schaper said at the time: “Just a kid from Africa but here we are, dreams are valid, I’m pleased to announce I have signed for Adidas, thank you to everyone who made this happen.
“God is good. Proud to represent the biggest brand in football doing what I love the most playing football. Let’s go.”
Like many other rising football stars, Schaper already has 11,000 followers on Instagram and over 2,000 on TikTok.