It’s the off-season for all club competition, almost all of the international play currently being staged are just meaningless friendlies, so you know what that means? It is indeed the summer silly season, i.e. time to talk some transfer rumors.
So with that in mind, let’s dive right in to the latest narratives surrounding Chelsea FC. Today, we’re giving you a double shot of Blues news, transfer style. For the first part, covering Robert Lewandowski and Romelu Lukaku, go here.
We start with the latest on the pursuit Chicago Fire goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina. The 18-year-old Addison, IL native has been on the radar of Stamford Bridge since at least March, while Real Madrid’s interest has been well-documented as well.
His agent made that abundantly clear. So here you have it, the last two Champions League winners are/were in hot pursuit of a Chicago homegrown No. 1 for the local club. Here’s the latest, via transfer king Fabrizio Romano.
Gabriel Slonina deal. Chicago Fire are still waiting for Chelsea final, official bid. It will be around $10m and it will also include add-ons. ??? #CFC
Real Madrid bid, turned down 10 days ago – while Chelsea are on it. Work in progress. https://t.co/TdJ5nECFrM
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 15, 2022
Also known as Gaga Slonina, the shot-stopper who recently declared his national allegiance to the United States over Poland, has had an up and down season. He got off to a fast start, ranking among the best overall goalkeepers in MLS through the first few weeks of the season.
Then he came back crashing down to Earth, enduring a very poor run of form and some unsightly statistics.
He soon found himself performing among the worst keepers in MLS. Not really his fault though, as the defense in front of him collapsed. While the Fire are indeed the bottom side in all of Major League Soccer, Gabriel Slonina is the least of their worries.
Manager Ezra Hendrickson has a massive rebuilding project ahead of him.
His fundamentals, technique and overall talent is as solid as it gets, and that’s why the world’s biggest and richest clubs want to sign him.
Enjoy him while you can Chicagoans and Fire fans, as he may not at the club for too much longer.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.