Named to the Olympic training roster. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5526846/2024/05/29/usmnt-olympic-camp-roster/
I saw some Chelsea fans are concerned that, because EPL teams can only loan out a certain amount of players a year, it may be hard to get all of their youth players loaned out. I’m not super familiar with the rules but Chelsea has like 5 first team goalies right now ahead of Gaga.
That might explain why he has not found a home yet. There are now 8 in the first team. Robert Sanchez Dorde Petrovic Gabriel Slonina Filip Jorgensen Kepa Arrizabalaga Lucas Bergstrom Marcus Bettinelli Eddie Beach
I think they are trying to move some (like Petrovic and Arrizabalaga) but I think it’s generally concerning for Slonina they just paid alot of money for Jorgensen whose fairly young and there have been rumors they will also do the same with Mike Penders. I wonder if we may see some sort of on paper transfer of Slonina to Strausburg to get around the loan issue.
It’s concerning for his Chelsea future and immediate future but Chelsea seems rudderless at present, and is addicted to buying young players who aren’t insanely expensive, so I don’t really trust that purchasing other keepers means that Slonina is trending downward.
Oh it doesn’t mean he’s trending downwards. But there’s just not alot of room for upward mobility when they just paid roughly 25 million for a 22 year old goalie who started 36 games in La Liga last year. And that they are potentially looking at roughly 20 million for a 19 year old Belgian keeper (though one who doesn’t really have much in the way of first team playing time).
Yea it would be much easier if Chelsea just sell him somewhere where they have more of an interest in developing him.
This is standard operating procedure at Chelsea. They will buy a young talented goalkeeper pretty much every two years I swear.
Maybe not Strausburg for Slonina Djordje Petrovic could be loaned to Strasbourg. Fiorentina have also made an enquiry (as @NizaarKinsella called). Genoa have decided against making a move. Petrovic still assessing options knowing he has fallen down the pecking order at Chelsea.It comes as a deal for Mike… pic.twitter.com/lZVBpWZVMK— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) August 8, 2024
Brutal...it's behind when he was 16. I was pessimistic about his destination after last disappointing season, but even I didn't project that. I was thinking more along the lines of LASK or Westerlo. It's going to be a long climb for him to ever compete w/ Chelsea. Another foolish club choice, going into the loan army. Need better agents for these players.
Well, to be fair, he was with Chicago, so are you SURE League One isn't actually a higher level than them?
Yeah, a move to England should be taken with caution, given the potential for rotting on the bench. But going to a club that apparently have neither roster limits, nor zero fvkcs to give about how many players they have, nor how much cash they blow, nor properly developing their players is a bad idea.
Some thought he'd start at Strasbourg. That was illogical, given he was sub-par in Belgium. Is there an MLS club who needs a gk (the Quakes maybe)? That would be a superior move. He never unequivocally had a good yr there. If he did, that'd be progress, + would get him shots w/ the senior NT. This would be a regression & put him in a career vortex.
Done deal: We have some news before kick-off...Welcome, Gabriel Slonina! 🧤The 'keeper joins from Chelsea on a season-long loan.More to follow... pic.twitter.com/Ggqp9Uk64T— Barnsley FC (@BarnsleyFC) August 9, 2024