Arsenal talent Charlie Patino looks set to leave the club on a permanent deal this summer after a successful loan spell with Blackpool. The Gunners activated an option to extend Patino’s contract until 2025, but he is unlikely to feature in Mikel Arteta’s plans next season.
Arsenal are prioritising a move for West Ham captain Declan Rice ahead of next season as they look to bolster Mikel Arteta's midfield options, football.london understands. If the 24-year-old completes a move to the Emirates Stadium, this would see Patino fall further down the pecking order upon his return to Arteta's squad.
The 19-year-old talent wants regular first team football next term to continue his development and does not want to be loaned out by the Gunners once again. Folarin Balogun finds himself in a similar position to Patino this summer with the young striker proving to be one of the best strikers in Ligue 1.
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A report from The Athletic states that amicable talks have taken place between Arsenal and Patino, with the club ready to help facilitate a switch as interest grows from UK and across Europe. The 19-year-old has represented England at youth level but also holds a Spanish passport through his father, which creates more possibilities for the creative player at club and international level.
Following his first goal for the Gunners, which came during a 5-1 win against Sunderland in the Carabao Cup, Arteta admitted there was still 'a lot' of competition ahead of the youngster and this has only increased in recent transfer windows. “A beautiful moment,” the Arsenal boss said after Patino's goal.
“He is a kid that is coming through our system, a lovely kid. He is training with us almost every week. It was a dream. As a debut to come here, to score in front of our fans, a really special moment.
“I think that is very positive [that the fans were singing his name]. They heard about him and know what he can become and now we have to cook him slowly. Today was a good start, I think.
“[Too much hype around him] is what we have to avoid. He still has a lot of competition in front of him. He is really young. And he needs to go step by step. Today he was lucky, he got the opportunity and he took it really well.”
The Gunners are now facing a repeat of Serge Gnabry's situation at the Emirates Stadium which saw the German winger leave the club in search of regular first team football after having limited opportunities at Arsenal. Gnabry left the Gunners after a loan spell with West Brom in 2016, moving to Germany and joining Werder Bremen on a permanent deal.
After one season with Bremen, Gnabry secured a move to Bayern Munich and has gone on to become a crucial player for the German giants. The 27-year-old has played over 200 games for Bayern, scoring 77 goals and providing a further 50 assists.
Patino could follow a similar path to Gnabry and become a crucial player for a rival club in the years to come after failing to break into the first team at Arsenal.
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