Premier League heavyweights Chelsea have reportedly lodged an offer to sign Chicago Fire goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina, a target for Real Madrid.
According to Spanish outlet Relevo, Real Madrid will face stiff competition from Chelsea in the race to sign Gabriel Slonina from Chicago Fire in the summer transfer window. The Blues have submitted a lucrative offer to secure the services of the young American goalkeeper.
Gabriel Slonina has captured the attention of scouts across in Europe since joining Chicago Fire as a 12-year-old in 2016. One of the brightest young shot-stoppers in the USA, the teenage wonderkid has made significant progress in the past year following his first-team debut for the Major League Soccer club in August 2021.
The 18-year-old became the youngest starting goalkeeper in MLS history at 17 years, 81 days and has looked solid for Chicago Fire this season, turning out 13 times while keeping five clean sheets. Slonina’s progress has not gone unnoticed either, with several European bigwigs, including Real Madrid and Chelsea, setting their sights on him.
The interest from Real Madrid stems from the uncertainties surrounding the future of Andriy Lunin. While Carlo Ancelotti rates the Ukrainian goalkeeper highly, he wants to play regularly at the club level and could seek a summer move away from the Santiago Bernabeu.
Gabriel Slonina, portero de 18 años de Chicago Fire, estaba cerca de vestir de blanco tras seis meses de seguimiento. Aunque iba a empezar en el Castilla para foguearse y hacer la pretemporada.
Sin embargo, el Chelsea se ha entrometido ofreciéndole una gran ficha. pic.twitter.com/0ZG6m8B0yk
— Relevo (@relevo) June 11, 2022
Slonina is thus a viable target for Real Madrid, with the 18-year-old’s agent recently revealing that he is keen on joining Los Blancos in the summer transfer window. But Real Madrid will need to fend off stiff competition from Chelsea to secure the services of the American goalkeeping prodigy.
Chelsea’s links with Slonina come in the wake of the rising uncertainties surrounding the future of Kepa Arrizabalaga. The Spanish international will look to embark on a new adventure this summer after falling behind Edouard Mendy in the pecking order for goalkeepers at Chelsea. And Slonina is a worthy long-term option to replace Kepa at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues have submitted a lucrative offer to sign Slonina, but his agent’s recent comments should leave Real Madrid in a healthier position in the race to sign him. With the summer transfer window fast approaching, it will be interesting to see if Chelsea can beat Real Madrid to Slonina’s signature.
