Chelsea Signs U.S. GK Prospect Slonina; Chicago to Retain Him On Loan Through 2022

The 18-year-old U.S. international will make the move to London after the conclusion of the MLS season.

The Gabriel Slonina transfer saga is over, and the U.S. goalkeeping prospect is headed to West London.

Chelsea has agreed with the Chicago Fire on a transfer for the 18-year-old American, with the Premier League and MLS clubs announcing the deal on Tuesday. The Premier League side will pay Chicago a $10 million base fee, per The Athletic, and Slonina, who is signed on a six-year deal, will join his new club in January, after the conclusion of the MLS season. Chicago called it a club-record deal for a “multi-million-dollar transfer fee” and said it would retain an undisclosed percentage of any future fees should Chelsea sell him down the line.

“We’re very proud and happy to see Gaga reach this milestone moment in his career,” Chicago sporting director Georg Heitz said in a statement. “Since joining the club, Gaga has embodied what it means to be a Chicago Fire player. In addition to his incredible talent, he is mature beyond his years, extremely hard working, and a fantastic teammate. Gaga is a role model to many young aspiring footballers in Chicago, and this transfer demonstrates that a player can progress to the first team from our Academy before joining one of the biggest clubs in the world.” 

Spanish giant Real Madrid appeared to be Slonina’s destination of choice throughout the summer. This year’s UEFA Champions League winners reportedly made a bid in June that was rejected by the Fire. Yet Slonina’s agent Jaime Garcia maintained that it was the young goalkeeper’s dream to play for Madrid, and that he hoped the two clubs could reach an agreement.

"With respect to other clubs and other offers—we’ve received many and we are gracious to those clubs—but you cannot say no to Real Madrid,” Garcia told MLSSoccer.com. 

Yet it is Chelsea, recently purchased by a group led by American billionaire Todd Boehly, who will get the signature of the U.S. international.

Slonina, casually known as Gaga, is second in MLS in clean sheets this season with 10 in 23 matches. After a call-up to the Polish national team in May, the dual-national announced that he’d be playing his international soccer with the United States. While he doesn’t figure to be a factor in the upcoming World Cup—he has yet to make an appearance for the USMNT—Slonina is the U.S.’s top goalkeeping prospect in years.

And now, he’ll be yet another American presence at one of the Premier League’s top clubs.