Chelsea’s forgotten summer signing Gabriel Slonina is due to link up with his new teammates for the first time this week as he prepares to jet in for a two-week training session with the Blues.
Slonina put pen-to-paper at Stamford Bridge on August 2 after completing a $10million (£9million) move, potentially rising to $15m (£13.5m) with add-ons, from MLS club Chicago Fire, but will arrive in England on Wednesday for a couple of weeks before travelling back to the USA for a training camp ahead of the World Cup.
Ahead of his arrival, here is all you need to know about Slonina including who he is, his career so far and what’s been said about him.
Who is Gabriel Slonina?
Slonina is an American goalkeeper who is currently on loan at MLS side Chicago Fire having signed for Chelsea in a £9m deal this summer. He is due to link up with the Blues officially on January 1, 2023.
Born on May 15, 2004 in Illinois, United States, the 18-year-old joined the youth academy of Chicago Fire in 2013, before signing his first professional contract in 2019 to become the second youngest signing in MLS history at the age of 14. He made his senior debut for the Fire in August 2021, in which he became the youngest goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet.
On the international stage, Slonina has represented the United States at the under-15, under-16, under-17, and under-20 levels. He has received two call-ups to the senior squad, but is yet to feature, while he rejected the chance to represent Poland in May, having pledged his allegiance to the USMNT.
Should Gabriel Slonina be handed a chance to impress for Chelsea instead of being loaned out again? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Career so far
After making his senior debut for Chicago Fire in 2021, Slonina went on to record 34 appearances in the MLS before Chelsea came calling this summer, in which he kept 14 clean sheets for the Eastern Conference side.
Since being loaned back to the Fire for the remainder of the 2022 season, Slonina has recorded an extra nine MLS appearances, keeping two more clean sheets, although he hasn't featured since September 18 after picking up a head injury late last month.
His one appearance for the United States U20s came almost a year ago as he captained his side in a 2-1 defeat to Mexico on November 17, 2021. He joined up with the senior squad for 2022 World Cup qualifiers in January, before declining the chance to join up with Poland for June’s Nations League fixtures against Wales, Belgium and the Netherlands, who he is eligible to represent through his parents.
What’s been said about him?
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano broke the news on Monday (October 10) that Slonina would head to London on Wednesday and join Chelsea for the following 13 days, before adding that the 18-year-old will return to the USA for a training camp with the national team ahead of the World Cup next month.
Although Slonina will officially join up with Chelsea on a permanent basis from January 1, 2023, 90min have reported that the Blues will decide whether he returns to Fire on loan again next season, who would welcome his return on another temporary deal.
Ahead of his move to Chelsea, various reports claimed that European heavyweights such as Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich had all shown an interest in the teenager, following rave reviews as a result of his MLS performances.
