According to sources, Chelsea believes their youngster Gabriel Slonina has a bright future.
Gabriel Slonina, 18, is a custodian recruited by the Blues from MLS club Chicago Fire last summer.
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In the new year, the young custodian joined Chelsea’s Under-21s team, giving him his first taste of English football.
Slonina will now represent the United States at the Under-20s World Cup later this month.
In addition, the Young Lions have called up a solid core of Chelsea players for the World Cup campaign. Carney Chukwuemeka, Harvey Vale, Bashir Humphreys, and Teddy Sharman-Lowe are among the Chelsea-owned players in England’s Under-20 squad.
According to acclaimed journalist Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea believes Slonina has the potential to be a key player in the future.
On the Here We Go podcast (12 May), Romano said of Slonina, “I can tell you that Chelsea is very excited about the possibility he will have at the Under-20 World Cup.” They believe this is a terrific opportunity for him to shine on the big stage. Chelsea is sure that Gaga Slonina will thrive and become the custodian of the future.”
It’ll be interesting to watch how long it takes Slonina to get a look at the first-team squad on a matchday.
The Athletic reported a few months back that Chelsea’s owners were impressed by what they saw from Slonina on the Cobham training ground.
We seldom see teenage goalkeepers start for a major club, so the American prospect has plenty of time on his side.
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Chelsea’s goalie position, in our opinion, is wide open, and Slonina should be aggressive in his preparations for next season.
If Kepa Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy fall out of favor with the next manager, Slonina should be considered for a berth as the club’s backup custodian.
At the Under-20 World Cup, we shall all learn more about Chelsea’s potential.
