USMNT goalkeeper Slonina joins Barnsley on loan from Chelsea

The 20-year-old will take in his third loan since joining Chelsea in 2022

Chelsea goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina has joined Barnsley FC on loan for the 2024-25 season.

The League One club will not have a purchase option on the U.S. international.

Slonina, 20, spent last season on loan at KAS Eupen, making 34 appearances as the club was relegated from the Belgian top flight.

The Illinois native signed for Chelsea in 2022 from the Chicago Fire in a reported $10 million deal.

After finishing the 2022 MLS season with the Fire, Slonina spent a half season with Chelsea’s U-21 side before his move to Belgium last season.

Slonina is said to be highly rated at Chelsea, but it is unclear if he’ll have a chance to challenge for the starting role as the Blues continue to add more goalkeepers.

This week, Chelsea reportedly paid Genk up to €20 million to sign goalkeeper Mike Penders, with the Blues also signing Filip Jorgensen from Villarreal for €24m earlier in the summer.

Chelsea rotated between Djordje Petrovic and Robert Sánchez as its starting goalkeepers last season.

Slonina became the youngest USMNT goalkeeper ever when he started a January 2023 friendly against Serbia. He was on the team’s Olympic roster this summer, but didn’t see any action as he backed up Patrick Schulte.

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