In between the big-time purchases this summer, Premier League giants, Chelsea decided to also dip in the MLS talent pool. The MLS side Chicago Fire announced earlier this week that the club had sold goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina to Chelsea in a multi-million dollar deal.
As part of the transfer agreement, Slonina will remain with Fire on loan for the remainder of the current MLS season before joining his new club in January. Chicago will also retain the rights for a cut of profits in case Chelsea sells Slonina.
While Fire fell short of revealing the transfer fee and just said the figure is a club record, reports indicate that the London club will pay $10 million upfront for Slonina. The number could reportedly reach $15 million with add-ons.
Gabriel Slonina is considered one of the jewels of Fire’s youth academy. He made his MLS debut midway through the 2021 season at the age of 17 years and 81 days, becoming the youngest goalie to take the field in league history. Slonina was promoted as Fire’s starting goalie less than two months later and never looked back. The Addison, Illinois, native has a total of 33 MLS appearances and has kept his goal intact 14 times.
“I joined this Club with ambitions of playing at the highest level, and it’s been a dream come true to wear the Chicago Fire jersey,” said Slonina in a club-released statement. “This Club has become my second home, my second family, and there are so many people that have played a big role in helping me get to where I am today.”
