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Chelsea new boy Gabriel Slonina has lifted the lid on what Arsenal goalkeeper Matt Turner told him when he experienced a dip in form this summer.
Slonina was among the nine players Chelsea signed during the summer transfer window. The Blues forked out an initial sum of £8.1 million to acquire the goalkeeper's services from Chicago Fire.
The 18-year-old became the youngest goalkeeper to start a Major League Soccer match last season. He has since established himself as a regular starter for Chicago, attracting interest from the Blues.
However, Slonina experienced a dip in form before completing his transfer to Chelsea in the summer. The Fire won just two of their nine MLS games between May and June, while the goalkeeper conceded 17 goals during the period.
Looking back at that difficult spell, Slonina revealed how a phone call from Arsenal shot-stopper Turner helped him bounce back. The Chelsea youngster disclosed that he was told to continue down the path, although he would make mistakes along the way. He told The Call Up, an in-house podcast from the MLS:
"He [Turner] just told me that even when he was young, he made a lot of mistakes. And I'm going to make mistakes young in my career and they're going to be highlighted because a lot of the times, it's sad to say, but a lot of people look for mistakes to have something to talk about."
"He just told me to keep going and trusting in the path, keep working every single day and you'll find that form again. He was a big help."
It is worth noting that the Blues allowed Slonina to stay with Chicago until the end of the MLS season. He is expected to link up with his new team in London at the start of 2023.
The United States Under-20s international has helped the Fire win five and draw three of their 15 matches in the last three months. He kept five clean sheets in those games.
Who is Arsenal goalkeeper Turner who helped Chelsea's Slonina?
Arsenal reached an agreement to sign Turner from MLS club New England Revolution in January. However, the goalkeeper only completed his move to London in the summer.
The Gunners paid an initial sum of around £5.7 million to acquire the 28-year-old's services. Unlike Slonina, Turner has moved to England with a significant amount of experience under his belt.
Turner made his senior debut for the United States national team in 2021 and has played 19 games for them. He made his bow for Arsenal in their 2-1 win against Zurich in the UEFA Europa League earlier this month.
