Chelsea brings new Edouard Mendy replacement as Boehly’s genius £12m decision can pay
Gabriel Slonina may provide Graham Potter’s goalkeeping options at Stamford Bridge in 2023 a wild card, according to Chelsea reports.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!It is simple to classify Chelsea’s choice to sign 18-year-old Gabriel Slonina from the MLS this past summer as a move for the long term, or at the very least, a low-risk deal that might be highly profitable.
Before his final transfer to Chelsea was officially announced in July, Slonina had drawn interest from a number of European teams months earlier. Wolves and Bayern Munich are reportedly both interested, according to football.london, with Chelsea’s chances perhaps being hampered by Roman Abramovich’s March punishments.
Later, Real Madrid made a bid for the Chicago Fire goalkeeper, but Chelsea prevailed. “Playing for Chicago Fire has been an honour, and playing for Chelsea will be an honour as well.” Back in September, Slonina spoke with The Evening Standard.
“My friends would frequently send me images of online rumours linking me to one of the top clubs in the world. Even though Chelsea is one of the greatest clubs, it is still strange to think about where I started and how I managed to get there.
“When Cech called, I almost assumed it was a hoax. To be sure it was really him, I had to listen in. Fortunately, I didn’t disconnect. It was an honour to listen to Petr Cech and his advise since I couldn’t believe I was speaking to him.
Slonina played her last match for Chicago in a 1-1 draw with New England in October, when the Illinois-based team finished 12th in the MLS standings. The goalkeeper will formally move to England in January after his £12 million transfer was completed in July, with the next move being undetermined.
In spite of the fact that Graham Potter and the club’s new owners are currently facing a difficult position, he joins Chelsea at an intriguing moment. It is expected that another loan will be used to help him gain regular playing time. Given Kepa Arrizabalaga’s resurgence into form, Edouard Mendy is not the imposing force he was a year ago. Mendy’s contract position is similarly uncertain; after recently rejecting an offer, rumours say he is currently thinking about his future with the team.
Even though Slonina’s reputation might not be as strong as it was in 2021, Todd Boehly will be hoping that he can provide the value that Mendy has undeniably provided to Chelsea since his £22 million signing from Rennes in 2020. Arrizabalaga is probably going to continue to be Potter’s top pick into the new year, but Slonina adds a wildcard to the upcoming competition for first place.
