Gabriel Slonina names Chelsea as the 'best side in London'

New Chelsea signing Gabriel Slonina believes he's joining the 'best side in London'.

As reported by 90min, the Blues beat off competition from the likes of Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, and Bayern Munich to secure the signature of Slonina.

Still only 18 years old, the goalkeeper has enjoyed a meteoric rise, keeping 14 clean sheets in his first 34 appearances for the Chicago Fire - including 10 in the 2022 MLS season so far - and pulling off a string of impressive saves. The teenager's form has been so strong that he's already earned call-ups to the USMNT, though he's yet to be capped.

All of this convinced Chelsea to pay up to $15m for Slonina, who now becomes the most expensive American goalkeeper of all time and the fifth-most expensive outgoing transfer in MLS history.

Shortly after the transfer was officially announced, Slonina - who will remain on loan with the Chicago Fire for the rest of 2022 - took to social media to let everyone know just how highly he regards Chelsea.

"Honoured to join such a massive club with so much history. It’s a privilege to wear the badge of the best side in London," he wrote on Twitter. "Thank you to all the fans for the warm welcome. Can’t wait to get started."

For now, Slonina's focus remains on helping the Fire close the two-point gap between themselves and the MLS Cup Playoff places, before linking up with his new teammates in January to continue his development.