Chelsea have reportedly come to a verbal agreement with Chicago Fire for goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina. The MLS star was a target for Real Madrid as well, but the Spanish side opted out because of the fee demanded.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea and Chicago Fire have reached an agreement verbally. The Blues are reported to have a £10 million bid agreed with add-ons and will submit it officially this week.
The report adds that the goalkeeper will not be moving to London yet and will spend the rest of the MLS season with Chicago Fire. They have not been at their best this season and are struggling for form, with four wins in 19 games and sitting at the bottom of the table.
However, that has not reduced the interest in Slonina, and Chelsea are set to sign him this summer.
Chelsea target wants on Real Madrid radar
Real Madrid were keen on signing Gabriel Slonina this summer, and the agent was excited to take the MLS star to Spain. However, the Champions League winners ended their interest after the fee demanded was deemed too high.
Slonina's agent, Jame Garcia, was quoted by MLSsoccer.com saying:
"Having Real Madrid take notice of one of their players should be an honour for Chicago and MLS. We're hopeful that Chicago and Real Madrid can come to an arrangement so that Gabriel can fulfill his goal of playing for this club. He's put in a lot of effort, and he's an incredible person, not to mention a great athlete. Few, if any, people I've encountered work as hard as he does. He's a brilliant and brave young man."
The quote also included:
"In terms of other teams and offers, we've gotten a lot, and we're grateful to those clubs right now, but you can't say no to Real Madrid. This has the potential to be a great situation for everyone – but the MLSPA and Agents need to work together to protect these players. We can't have clubs in the Major League Soccer charging outrageous fees."
Slonina, who recently turned 18, is highly rated in the United States and has been a vital part of Chicago Fire's side this season.