Chelsea will try again to recruit Gabriel Slonina this summer, according to football.london, after a deal for the Chicago Fire goalkeeper fell through earlier this year due to Roman Abramovich’s reluctance.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!During the 2021 season, the 18-year-old established himself as the Fire’s first-choice goalkeeper, starting all 13 MLS games thus far. Slonina, despite his youth, has maintained five clean sheets this season, an impressive performance given Chicago’s position at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
Chelsea reportedly sounded out a move for Slonina in February, and there was optimism that a deal might be reached for the youngster, who would have stayed with Fire until the end of the current season, and maybe beyond. The UK government, on the other hand, sanctioned Abramovich on March 12.
Chelsea’s attempts to sign Slonina were unexpectedly halted; the Blues were permitted to continue operating under a special license but were unable to conduct any transfer business or sign new contracts with players, which hampered the club’s efforts to keep Antonio Rudiger at Stamford Bridge.
However, the Todd Boehly-led consortium’s acquisition will allow Chelsea to re-enter the transfer market. While the Blues’ immediate priority is to replace departed players and bolster Thomas Tuchel’s first-team squad ahead of the 2022/23 season, Slonina is anticipated to renew their interest.
They will not, however, get a clear shot at the American. Wolverhampton Wanderers have expressed an interest, although they are still a long way from reaching Fire’s asking price. Bayern Munich, on the other hand, is exploring a move in order to identify a long-term successor to Manuel Neuer, who is under contract until 2024.
Slonina’s next professional move is critical, especially if he hopes to achieve his goal of being the greatest in his position in the international game. Slonina told ESPN’s Futbol Americas in November that he aspires to be the best goalkeeper in the world.
“So I’m just going to keep working hard and make sure I’m taking the correct steps in the right path every day.”
