Chelsea have been dealt a significant transfer blow as the agent of Chicago Fire goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina has declared his desire for the MLS side to facilitate a move to Real Madrid.
football.london understands Chelsea sounded out a move for Slonina in February, and there was confidence that an agreement would be reached for the 18-year-old. The deal would have potentially seen the goalkeeper stay with Fire until the end of the current season and potentially remain in the US for the duration of the 2023 campaign. Progress on the deal was halted when Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government, and as a result, Chelsea had to operate under a special licence that did not allow for transfers.
However, with Chelsea's takeover now complete, there was an expectation that the Blues would renew their efforts to sign Slonina, though it would be in a competitive field. Wolves are said to have registered their interest, and Bayern Munich are thought to be considering a move for the young shot-stopper. It appears Real Madrid are the team with the biggest advantage, though a fee still seems to be a stumbling block.
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Slonina's agent Jame Garcia has pleaded with the MLS and Chicago Fire to allow his client to complete a 'dream' move to the Bernabéu. The representative revealed that there have been a number of offers for his client, but the chance to play for Real Madrid stands above the rest,
Garcia said: "It should be an honour for Chicago and MLS to have Real Madrid take notice of one of their players. We are hoping Chicago can find an agreement with Real Madrid to realize Gabriel's dream of playing for this club. He's worked very hard, he is an unbelievable person, player as well, but the person is remarkable. I've met few to no people who work as hard as he does. He's a very smart and courageous young man.
"With respect to other clubs and other offers, we've received many, and at the moment, we are gracious to those clubs, but you cannot say no to Real Madrid. This has the potential to be a great situation for everyone - but the MLSPA and Agents need to work together to protect these players. We can't have clubs in the MLS asking for exorbitant prices."
Los Blancos have already seen some success in the transfer market at Chelsea's expense this summer. Antonio Rudiger's move to the Spanish capital was confirmed this week as he departed Chelsea on a free transfer following the end of his contract.
