Gabriel Slonina to join Chelsea for two-week ‘training stint’ — report

Chelsea loanee Gabriel Slonina’s 2022 MLS season ended this weekend in a 1-1 draw against the New England Revolution, with his current team, the Chicago Fire well out of playoff contention in the Eastern Conference thanks to a rather poor run of results over the past two months (just two wins from their last ten).

Slonina, who actually missed the Fire’s last two games with a head injury, officially isn’t set to join up with Chelsea until the January transfer window, but according to Chicago media, he’s set to come over for the next couple weeks for a “training stint”, before heading back to the States presumably for a bit of offseason rest and relaxation (and possibly to stay ready for the World Cup, for which he has an outside chance of making the USA team).

What happens after that with the 18-year-old remains up in the air. He could return to the Fire for another season on loan, or perhaps join a team in England or Europe for the second half of the 2022-23 season. He finished the 2022 MLS season with 12 clean sheets in 32 appearances. It’s probably not yet time for him to join the Chelsea first-team, but we do need to ensure that he keeps developing and progressing and being challenged properly.