Gabriel Slonina has captured the attention of scouts across in Europe since joining Chicago Fire as a 12-year-old in 2016. One of the brightest young shot-stoppers in the USA, the teenage wonderkid has made significant progress in the past year following his first-team debut for the Major League Soccer club in August 2021.
The 18-year-old became the youngest starting goalkeeper in MLS history at 17 years, 81 days and has looked solid for Chicago Fire this season,Turing out 13 times while keeping five clean sheets. Slonina’s progress has not gone unnoticed either, with several European bigwigs, including Real Madrid and Chelsea, setting their sights on him.
The interest from Real Madrid stems from the uncertainties surrounding the future of Andriy Lunin. While Carlo Ancelotti rates the Ukrainian goalkeeper highly, he wants to play regularly at the club level and could seek a summer move away from the Santiago Bernabeu.
Slonina is thus a possible Real Madrid target, with the 18-year-agent old's recently confirming his desire to join Los Blancos during the summer transfer window. However, Real Madrid will have to compete with Chelsea for the services of the American goalkeeping sensation.
Chelsea's interest in Slonina comes as the future of Kepa Arrizabalaga becomes increasingly uncertain. After falling behind Edouard Mendy in the pecking order for goalkeepers at Chelsea, the Spanish international will aim to start on a new adventure this summer. Slonina is also a viable long-term replacement for Kepa at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues have made a substantial offer for Slonina, but his agent's recent remarks should cause Real Madrid to reconsider.
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