“Decision to be made soon” - Fabrizio Romano says Chelsea are ‘in talks’ to sign player Real Madrid failed to sign with opening bid

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Chelsea have entered discussions to sign Chicago Fire goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina after Real Madrid's opening bid was turned down.

Romano made this known on his Twitter page and also revealed that the Spanish champions made a bid which was turned down last week.

He also stated that the Blues were close last February and are looking to rekindle their interest. He rounded it off by saying that a deal will be finalized soon and will be one of the biggest transfers in Major League Soccer history.

Gabriel Slonina came through the Chicago Fire academy and made his first-team debut in 2021. This saw him become the youngest goalkeeper in MLS history, starting at 17 years and 81 days. He recorded a shutout in the game, becoming the youngest goalkeeper to do so in the process.

The 18-year-old has since made 25 league appearances for Fire, recording nine shutouts. He is an established member of the USMNT youth team. He was even called up for the senior team in their World Cup Qualifying camp in January this year, but was not used in any games.

Slonina is eligible to represent Poland and was recently called up by the senior national team. However, he turned down the offer, stating his preference to represent the USMNT.

The highly-rated goalkeeper is regarded as one of the top prospects in US football and has been unsurprisingly linked with a move to Real Madrid and Chelsea.

Real Madrid and Chelsea could be looking to secure a long-term replacement for their current goalkeepers

Real Madrid and Chelsea have two of the best goalkeepers in the world at the moment.

Thibaut Courtois was at his absolute best as Los Blancos made it 14 European crowns last month. He was declared the 'Man of the Match' in the Champions League final against Liverpool on May 28.

Edouard Mendy is the reigning 'FIFA The Best Men's Goalkeeper' and has brought relative stability to what has been a problematic position over the last few years.

However, both men are 30 years old and despite the famed longevity of goalkeepers, plans could be in place to ensure a long-term transition.

Gabriel Slonina is far from the finished product. He still has a few years of being an understudy left before acclimatizing to the higher demands of top-flight European football. Learning under either Courtois or Mendy could prove beneficial to his career over the long term.