Gabriel Slonina has revealed his decision to join Chelsea was a ‘no brainer’ amid his January arrival at the club.
The 18-year-old goalkeeper signed for the Blues during the summer transfer window, and will spend the rest of the year on loan at his current side Chicago Fire in the MLS.
He will then join Chelsea permanently in January, providing Graham Potter’s side with another option between the sticks alongside Edouard Mendy, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Marcus Bettinelli.
Slonina is considered to be one of the brightest goalkeeping prospects in world football, having made 43 appearances in the MLS at such a young age.
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As he prepares to make the move from the States to England, the youngster has spoken of his excitement at the thought of playing for Chelsea.
In an interview with The Call Up, he said: “I'm super excited just to be in that environment and see what it's like in the Premier League.
“How the coach acts when we win, when we lose, what's the locker room look like?
“Just that level of pressure, I can't wait to be in there and be in that environment because I think you're going to learn from every single person there."
Slonina was also complimentary of Chelsea when talking about their negotiations for him in the summer, adding: “The path that they showed me and presented me while I was talking to them was something I really liked.
“They really focused on a player's development and making sure they're seeing the right things, playing games and getting minutes. Because obviously for a young goalkeeper, that's super important.
“You can train a lot, but you still have to see those game minutes and everything. I was drawn to the fans, to the location of where it's at. And it's Chelsea, so it was a no-brainer.”
Chelsea have an abundance of quality within their current goalkeeping options, but they have struggled in recent weeks.
The Blues have only been able to keep one clean sheet in their eight games so far this season, which came on the opening weekend of the Premier League against Everton.
Since his arrival in 2020, Mendy has been the first choice ‘keeper to start for Chelsea.
However, the Senegal international has been making mistakes as of late and has been sidelined through injury, with Kepa playing their last two matches which have both come in the Champions League.
Bettinelli has only made one appearance for the side since his arrival last summer, coming in their FA Cup third round tie against Chesterfield at the beginning of the year.
Slonina is set to arrive at Chelsea in the January transfer window following the conclusion of the MLS season.
It remains to be seen if he will stay at the club or go out on loan, but such a signing from the Blues is a statement of intent for the future.
Topics: Chelsea, Gabriel Slonina
Robert Calcutt