Gabriel Pawel “Gaga” Slonina, born on May 15, 2004, is an American goalkeeper currently playing for Belgian club K. A. S. Eupen on loan from Premier League side Chelsea. Also known as Gaga, Gabriel Slonina began his senior football career at Chelsea FC when he was bought for 9.09 million euros from Chicago Academy in the 22/23 season.
He has played for multiple clubs since then on loan from Chelsea and has been performing well, despite not yet having the opportunity to play a single match for the Chelsea senior team in his career. The young goalkeeper has already made 8 appearances for the Chelsea U21 team and shows great potential for a bright future with the American national team.
This article delves into the key aspects of the American talent’s life, exploring his early years, family background, net worth, career, and more.
| Birth Place | Addison, Illinois, United States |
| Father’s Name | Not known |
| Mother’s Name | Not known |
| Star Sign | Taurus |
| Net Worth | $5 million |
| Age | 20 years old (as of June 2024) |
| Birthday | 15 May 2004 |
| Height | 1.93 m |
| Weight | 88 kg |
| Nationality | Polish-American |
| Senior Clubs | Chicago Fire, Chelsea, K. A. S. Eupen |
| Achievements | NA |
| Position | Goalkeeper |
| Social | Instagram, Twitter, Facebook |
| Education | NA |
| Wife/girlfriend | NA |
Gabriel Slonina | Early Life
Born in Illinois, US, the American goalkeeper started his young football career with the Chicago Youth setup when he joined the Chicago Youth Academy in 2016 at the age of 12. In his early years of career, the American goalkeeper showed a consistent streak of performances on the youth teams of Chicago for the next 3 years.
In the year 2019, the American goalkeeper signed his professional homegrown contract with the Chicago Fire senior team and was promoted to the Chicago first team, although he was not given a starting role due to inexperience.
During those years, the American goalkeeper continued his education at the Chicago Academy itself, although there are no certified reports or information regarding the same, as it seems the player likes to keep his educational life a secret, thus focusing more on his football career pathway.
Gabriel Slonina | Family
Although the American goalkeeper’s parents are not known publicly, which means the player likes to keep his family life away from the media and it just shows the commitment of the player who wants his fans to talk about his performances rather than his family, he had a recent interview to the Standard Sport where he mentioned that his parents have been influential towards his footballing career and have inspired him to give everything for Chelsea and the US national team.
His relationship status is currently known to be single, as he is solely focused on becoming the No. 1 for both the Chelsea and US national teams, as verified by his Twitter bio.
Further details about his family are unknown, with him keeping secrecy regarding the same.
Gabriel Slonina | Club Career
Chicago Fire FC
After his promotion to the senior Chicago team in the year 2019, Gaga made his professional debut for the Chicago Fire on August 4, 2021, in a 0-0 draw against New York City FC. He became the youngest starting goalkeeper in MLS League history and the youngest goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet in an MLS match.
Chelsea
Responding to his performances, Chelsea signed the American goalkeeper for $10 million, with $5 million in performance-based add-ons, in the 22/23 season, but the player was immediately sent on loan back to the Chicago Fire for the next six months. The next season, when the American goalkeeper came back and was looking to make a name for himself in the squad, he was sent on loan to the Belgian club K. A. S. Eupen.
K. A. S. Eupen
Plying his trade for the Belgian side, the player has been in top form and has been performing consistently for the side, playing 22 matches for the club in all competitions. He has kept three clean sheets as well, even though his team is on the verge of relegation, and his performance can also help them scrape through the remaining matches and help them survive the first-division football in Belgium. His performances could help him convince the current Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel to try him out in the team next season when he returns from loan.
Gabriel Slonina | International Career
After his decent performances for the US U15, U16, U17, and U20, he was called up to the US senior squad in December 2021 but didn’t feature in any matches for the country. The player was again called up to the senior squad in January 2022, ahead of the FIFA World Cup, but still didn’t feature in a single game.
Consequently, the player was called up to the Poland national team squad for the upcoming Nations League the same year, but the player rejected the call-up and declared his wish to only represent the United States national team in his international career.
His tremendous determination to play for the US secured another call-up for the US senior team in January 2023, and he made his international debut on January 26, 2023, in a friendly match against Serbia, which his team lost 1-2 due to a late goal. His future in the international setup seems as bright as his career at the domestic level.
Gabriel Slonina | Sponsors and Endorsements
Although no sources have confirmed Gaga’s sponsors or endorsements, the young goalkeeper is an aspiring player and will soon have all the businesses lined up for his signature.
Though the goalkeeper’s sponsors are not known, it emphasizes the fact that the player is more focused on his career in the sport than on advertising brands around the world.
Gabriel Slonina | Philanthropic Activities
The Spanish goalkeeper has not been known to be inclined towards any philanthropic activities, and if he does so, it seems he has maintained secrecy regarding them. The player’s secrecy about the situation might be due to his desire to only have his on-field performances evaluated and not anything else.
Gabriel Slonina | In Popular Culture
Gaga is well-known for being a Christian, but no sources have reported any other forms of cultural favoritism. It seems that the Chicago Academy product is very secret about his cultural beliefs and does not want to share such thoughts, which just inspires unimportant controversies.
Gabriel Slonina | Records and Statistics
The American goalkeeper has played a total of 65 matches for the domestic-level senior teams and has maintained 19 clean sheets, which is impressive considering his age and inexperience. But despite decent performances that have helped him play his first match for his national team, he has never been able to get a grip on the No. 1 spot for any club he has played with till now and will be determined to do so shortly.
| Teams | Matches | Goals Conceded | Clean Sheets |
| Chicago | 43 | 61 | 16 |
| KAS Eupen | 22 | 44 | 3 |
| Chelsea U21 | 8 | 13 | 3 |
| United States | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Gabriel Slonina | Net Worth and Health
The American has a net worth of $5 million, which shows that his performances have surely turned into wealth for him. His health is said to be good, with no recent injury currently. His health and wealth show a player feeling good and ready to perform with so much hidden talent in him.
Slonina has inked a lucrative 6-year deal with Chelsea F.C., worth a substantial £1,040,000. This contract ensures he will receive an impressive annual average salary of £173,333 and a weekly salary of £20,000.
Gabriel Slonina | Cars and Tattoos
According to reports, Gaga certainly has a love for cars but doesn’t own any since he has been focused on developing his abilities for his career. Although his love for cars is known, unfortunately, his opinion towards tattoos is not of a similar nature.
Despite being fearless against big-tall strikers, the player is afraid of tiny needles, and it doesn’t seem like the player is going to get any tattoos in the future either. The Chelsea loanee has been keeping some secrecy in this matter, which shows his utter commitment to football.
FAQs
| 1. How old is Gabriel Slonina? |
| 20 years old |
| 2. Which team does Gaga play for? |
| K. A. S. Eupen (on loan from Chelsea) |
| 3. Has Gaga won any club or international titles? |
| No |
| 4. How many senior matches has Gaga played in his career? |
| 65 matches |
| 5. How many clean sheets has Gaga managed to keep in his senior club career till now? |
| 19 |
