The youngest starting goalkeeper in MLS history at 17 is joining a pair of USMNT regulars at one of Europe’s most decorated clubs.
The Chicago Fire has announced an agreement to a club-record transfer fee with Chelsea for shot-blocking prodigy Gabriel ‘Gaga’ Slonina.
Per the press release, Slonina will finish the current MLS campaign on loan from Chelsea and move to London in January 2023 to continue his six-year contract.
Slonina, who is now 18 years old, has made 34 appearances with the Fire first team, keeping 14 clean sheets during his career. Slonina is a dual-national but announced his intentions to play with the USMNT in May of this year.
Slonina was first called up to the US first team squad in December of 2021.
The goalkeeper will join two USMNT members at Chelsea – defender Matt Miazga and Captain America himself, Christian Pulisic.
Slonina is sure to have a bright career ahead of him, even if he does spend some time on loan before getting a shot with Chelsea’s first team. Either way, the Chicago Fire will be compensated – the Fire will receive a percentage of any future loan fees for the young keeper.
Check out Slonina’s highlight reel below:
Featured Image: Pexels/Pixabay/ChelseaFC/DM
Leave a Reply