Chelsea’s talented teen Gabriel Slonina: Who the hell are you? (Vol. 23)

3. What does this mean for the goalkeepers?

The remainder of the season will continue to give fans an answer to the inquiry about his true skill. It will also help Thomas Tuchel and his staff decide what to do with the 18-year-old once he comes to Cobham in January. In all honesty, Slonina’s addition does little to move the needle as it relates to the Blues’ goalkeeper situation ahead of the 2022/23 season. He and Eddie Beach, an 18-year-old signed from Southampton earlier in the window, have Chelsea ready for the future between the sticks though.

For this season, Chelsea’s goalkeeper situation still seems a bit unsettled. It goes without saying that Mendy will be Tuchel’s No. 1 for the entirety of the campaign. The Senegalese shot-stopper is one of the world’s best and he’s done a fantastic job for the club since coming over from France two seasons ago. Beyond Mendy is where things get a bit confusing with the Blues likely to be in the market for a back-up within the coming weeks.

Kepa Arrizabalaga’s days at Chelsea look to be numbered. The Spaniard is simply too good to be rotting away on the Blues’ bench for a majority of the season. He has been in constant discussions with the club all summer about a move away. A lot of teams across the continent are not able to afford his wages. Thus, Chelsea will have to cover some of them if he is to go out on loan, which looks to be the likeliest scenario. Napoli is the most interested party to date.

Once Arrizabalaga is gone, the fun begins. If the Blues truly believe that Slonina will be ready to take on a big role within the year, they can promote the third keeper, Marcus Bettinelli, to the No. 2 role until January. Academy keeper Teddy Sharman-Lowe could slot into Bettinelli’s “old” (in this hypothetical) role and remain there until Slonina joins up with Chelsea in January. This is unlikely though as making the jump from Major League Soccer to the Premier League comes with a steep learning curve, especially for a U20 player.

In all likelihood, the Blues will sign a back-up goalkeeper off the streets or move for a low cost option ahead of the summer transfer deadline. Bettinelli will remain the third choice, Sharman-Lowe could embark on a loan to build up confidence and Slonina’s future remains under wraps until he joins up with his new club in England during the January transfer window.

What do you make of the Slonina signing? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!