Chelsea have reportedly agreed personal terms with promising American goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina.
According to the Italian journalist, Fabrizio Romano on Twitter, Premier League giants Chelsea have agreed to personal terms with Chicago Fire goalkeeping sensation Gabriel Slonina.
The 18-year-old is already a regular for the MLS side and appears set for a bright future in the game. His performances have attracted attention from several top European clubs, including Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. Chelsea, to their credit, appear to have won the race for the teenage prodigy’s signature.
The Blues have reached an agreement that will see them fork out £10 million plus add-ons to Chicago Fire for their young goalkeeper. As a further sweetener, the MLS side will also retain the teenager’s services for next season. This is good news for the player whose development will not be impacted by having to sit on the bench at Chelsea.
A good passer of the ball, Slonina’s distribution makes him an excellent fit for modern football. He is also an excellent shot-stopper and has a good reach that sees him cover most of the goal. However, he still has much to learn and often flounders when it comes to collecting crosses.
Gabriel Slonina’s agent Jaime Garcia has informed Chicago Fire that they reached an agreement on personal terms with Chelsea. ?? #CFC
CFC will submit official bid and send paperworks, after verbal agreement with Chicago: 10m plus add-ons.
Slonina will stay at Chicago on loan. pic.twitter.com/Ky66pzXjpa
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 15, 2022
Continuing to play regularly for Chicago Fire will help him work out the kinks in his game and get him ready to meet the expectations that come from moving to a club such as Chelsea.
The Blues already have two excellent goalkeepers in their ranks in Edouard Mendy and Kepa Arrizabalaga. While the former is the undisputed starter for the club, the latter’s position at the club is far from certain amid interest from OGC Nice. Whether Slonina will eventually arrive at Chelsea as Kepa’s replacement and Mendy’s heir apparent remains to be seen.
Chelsea have a good record of promoting youth players to the senior setup in recent years. There are few better clubs than the Stamford Bridge outfit for Slonina to take his talents to. The club’s owners might have changed, but the ethos more or less remains the same.
Chelsea have sought to bolster their youth ranks this summer. They have reached an agreement to sign Zak Sturge, while Southampton sensation Tyler Dibling is also on his way to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea also signed Arsenal wonderkid Omari Hutchinson and now have Slonina in the bag. It would appear that Cobham is far from done in producing talents for the senior side.
