CHELSEA IS NEARING A DEAL WITH GABRIEL SLONINA
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Gabriel Slonina’s next destination, according to famous Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, appears to be Chelsea. The Blues are in talks with the Chicago Fire to sign the 18-year-old goalkeeper for €10 million during the summer transfer window, with Real Madrid missing out on his services.
After making a strong impact since joining Chicago Fire half a dozen years ago, Gabriel Slonina has attracted the attention of two of Europe’s greatest teams. At 17 years, 81 days, the American shot-stopper made his first-team debut for the Major League Soccer club last year, becoming the league’s youngest starting goalie.
The Chicago Fire’s 2022 season has had a bumpy start, but Slonina has performed admirably thus far, appearing 13 times and maintaining five clean sheets. The 18-year-development old’s has not gone unnoticed, with numerous European powerhouses, like Real Madrid and Chelsea, keeping an eye on him.
Chelsea’s interest derives from the growing uncertainty around Kepa Arrizabalaga’s future. The Spanish goalkeeper is dissatisfied with his status at Stamford Bridge and will most likely leave in the summer to play for another team in the 2022/23 season.
According to Romano, Chelsea recently submitted an offer to sign Slonina, and their discussions with Chicago Fire are going well. Despite his desire to join Los Blancos, Real Madrid will face an uphill challenge in securing his talents in the summer transfer window, with the west Londoners dominating the race to recruit the 18-year-old.
The interest in Slonina by Real Madrid comes amid a Kepa-like situation at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Ukrainian international feels uneasy at Real Madrid, where he is rarely used owing to Thibaut Courtois’s superiority. Lunin may also depart the Merengues this summer, either on loan or permanently, in order to obtain regular playing time elsewhere.
However, Chicago Fire just turned down an offer from Real Madrid, while their talks with Chelsea are going well. According to Fabrizio Romano, the two sides are close to completing a €10 million deal, with Slonina certain to join the Blues rather than Real Madrid this summer. It will be intriguing to see whether the Spanish giants can turn the tide and overtake Chelsea for his signing any time soon.
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