Gabriel Slonina in London for medical ahead of $15 million move to Chelsea
Gabriel Slonina is currently in London to undergo his Chelsea medical before being announced as a Chelsea player, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano on Twitter.
The 18-year-old arrives from MLS side Chicago Fire in a deal worth $15 million, including add-ons. The American is set to sign a long-term deal with the Blues as soon as he completes his medical.
Slonina is set to return to Chicago after the announcement as he’ll stay on loan with the MLS club until January. The 18-year-old is a highly-rated prospect.
Chelsea’s goalkeeping options
Chelsea currently have two good goalkeepers in the side. Kepa Arrizabalaga was signed from Athletic Bilbao in 2018. However, the Spaniard enjoyed his time as a regular between the sticks only until the 2019/20 season.
The 27-year-old arrived for a hefty fee after we paid his release clause. Arrizabalaga arrived with high expectations. The Spaniard’s debut season was decent. But in his second campaign for the Blues, the former Bilbao number one made a lot of errors in goal.
The signing of Edouard Mendy from Stade Rennais in 2020 relegated Arrizabalaga to the bench. The Senegalese has been brilliant for Chelsea since arriving in London. He’s been a crucial part of our success under Thomas Tuchel.
Mendy was critical in the West London side’s Champions League win in the 2020/21 seasons. He made key saves throughout our run to lifting the prestigious trophy. The Senegalese continued his excellent form in the previous campaign as well.
Fans have come to love Mendy. The 30-year-old has featured in 93 games for the Stamford Bridge side, keeping 48 clean sheets. At the start of this year, the Senegalese won the Africa Cup of Nations with his national side.
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With an uncertain future for Arrizabalaga at Chelsea, it’s important for the club to invest in a backup goalkeeper. Slonina is a young player with enormous potential. Fans will hope the 18-year-old can develop further and replace Mendy in the future as our number one.