Gabriel Slonina, the goalie for the Chicago Fire, arrived in London to complete his physical, and reports suggest that Chelsea is close to signing him.
The clubs reached an agreement on a £12 million cost, including add-ons, for the American teenager, bringing the 18-year-major old’s transfer to Stamford Bridge one step closer over the weekend.
Slonina, who played for the MLS team against Atlanta United on Saturday, has agreed to a long-term transfer to west London and is about to sign a contract to join Chelsea.
After the game, Slonina’s move was alluded to by Chicago manager Ezra Hendrickson, but he wouldn’t disclose any contract or who the teenager was joining.
Although nothing has been signed, there is something near, so I can’t really talk about it. However, something concerning that is extremely close to occurring.
“I believe the child merits it.
“There hasn’t been a signature yet or anything, so I can’t really comment on anything in that regard.
But I’m thrilled for the child, because it demonstrates that this organization has some promising young talent.
Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, among others, had shown interest in Slonina, but Thomas Tuchel’s team has won the fight to sign the highly regarded kid.
Now that he has traveled across the Atlantic to fly to London to complete his move, Fabrizio says that he will have his physical on Monday.
He will stay with Chicago Fire until the start of the new year after his transfer is finished and made official so he can finish the MLS season with the team.
Slonina’s arrival, despite being six months late, occurs at the same time that Kepa Arrizabalaga, the team’s backup goalkeeper, leaves. As long as negotiations between the two teams go well, he will soon begin a loan at Napoli.
Edouard Mendy and Marcus Bettinelli will be Tuchel’s senior alternatives until Slonina joins the team in January should Kepa leave, which is becoming more and more likely, and should no goalkeeper arrive this summer to replace the Spaniard.
Todd Boehly and the other co-owners still have work to do during the summer transfer window.
They have their eyes on Denzel Dumfries of Inter Milan and Wesley Fofana of Leicester City.
Time is running out for the Blues to complete their necessary tasks because the summer window will close in just over four weeks and the season will start this week.
