Gabriel Slonina was on loan at AS Eupen, but did not really convince in the Pro League. Loaned again, this time in the Championship, he returns to Chelsea this winter.
Gabriel Slonina (20 years old) arrived at Chelsea in 2022 surrounded by enormous expectations: the Blues had offered more than 9 million euros to the Chicago Fire for this young American-Polish goalkeeper presented as one of the greatest talents in the world at his job.
Subsequently, after a loan to his training club, Slonina played in the Pro League last season, on loan to AS Eupen. He played 34 matches for the Pandas, who ended up relegated to the Challenger Pro League, and despite some good performances, he did not really convince Belgian observers.
This season, Slonina was loaned out again, heading to Barnsley and the Championship. A starter when he arrived, he however injured his finger last October and has not appeared since. Barnsley therefore broke his loan, and the American goalkeeper (who became international in 2023) returned to Chelsea.
Despite his potential, the Blues may have turned the page on Slonina, notably having transferred Mike Penders for 20 million euros last summer. But the young goalkeeper is under contract until 2028, and will therefore still have opportunities to convince on loan.
We therefore expect Slonina to find a solution this winter to relaunch herself and, perhaps, find a home base in order to finally launch her young and promising career.
