Teenage football sensation Camden Schaper, formerly of Benoni, is set to become the most expensive 13-year-old footballer in history.

According to Benoni City Times, the former SuperSport Soccer Schools (now Global Soccer Schools) and SuperSport United (SSU) Academy player is reportedly worth £700 000 (R16.9m) and has been on the radar of top-flight clubs since relocating to England with his family.

According to several reports in England, Premier League giants Chelsea are expected to beat Manchester City to the signing of the 13-year-old, who plays for Blackburn Rovers.

Before the move to England, Schaper captained the SSU U11 academy team and led them on an undefeated tour of Spain in December 2021. It was during that tournament that he caught the attention of European scouts. After impressing at the event, he was invited to a two-day training session by Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon.

Earlier, Schaper had trained with an assessment centre in Manchester, where he caught the eye of Manchester United scouts as an eight-year-old in 2019. He was later invited to train at United’s academy.

Speaking to the Benoni City Times in 2022, his father Jody said: “He is ahead of his time. His tactical and technical acumen are by far the best I have seen in a 10-year-old. When he is not training with his teammates at the academy, you will find him at home doing drills to improve his skills. His technical ability surpasses that of most 10-year-olds. His hard work is the reason he is attracting attention from abroad.”