With the season over on the pitch, Real Madrid moves its activity to the offices. And one of the particular matches focuses on the goal. Not for Thibaut Courtois, raised to the altars of his position after the Champions League final, but for Andriy Lunin.
Although the performance of the Ukrainian has been more than exemplary, he has only played five games for the white club. A figure, although the brilliant loan to Oviedo is in between, very scarce for his 23 years and his hopeful potential. His future, therefore, generates uncertainty in the White House.
To cover their backs in case he decides to take flight away from the Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid have already set their sights on the American Gabriel Slonina, according to Fabrizio Romano and AS has been able to confirm. Gaga, as he is known in MLS, is one of the goalkeepers of the future and a mirror of the growth of soccer across the pond. His salary is about 68,000 euros per season.
He made his debut this season with the Chicago Fire as the youngest goalkeeper to ever do so and his qualities have already alerted Chelsea, to which the step aside of Roman Abramovich deprived him of his hiring, but which is still the best placed team to sign him. He is also closely followed by Bayern Munich, who do not know the future of Alex Nübel, a substitute goalkeeper who is on loan at Monaco. Now, Madrid, in its policy of betting on emerging talent, wants to accelerate and open negotiations to get ahead of the rest of the suitors, among which European clubs such as Valencia or Espanyol have been mentioned.
The American goalkeeper, only 18 years old, is the fifth best goalkeeper under 25 in MLS, according to Olocip. In fact, his projection has sparked the interest of the American and Polish teams, but Slonina, whose contract ends in December 2023, has opted for the North American country, in which he has already played in its lower categories. Between last year and this year he has played 2,250 minutes spread over 25 games, in which he has received 36 goals and has kept a clean sheet on nine occasions.