Arsenal are set to trigger a contract extension to keep Charlie Patino at the club.
The highly-rated academy graduate’s future in north London had been uncertain, with his current deal due to expire in the summer.
However, Standard Sport understands that Arsenal will imminently activate a clause that will extend his stay by a further two years, until 2025.
There is much hype surrounding Patino, one of the most exciting products to emerge from Hale End over recent seasons.
A gifted midfielder, the 19-year-old made quite an impression at youth level before scoring on his senior debut in the 5-1 Carabao Cup thrashing of Sunderland last December.
Patino - who has yet to feature in a Premier League match - made his opening first-team start in last season’s FA Cup defeat by Nottingham Forest and in August joined Championship side Blackpool on loan for the 2022/23 campaign.
The teenager has continued to thrive at Bloomfield Road despite injury issues early in the season and Blackpool’s struggles, making 18 appearances across all competitions and scoring twice to earn rave reviews from team-mates and manager Michael Appleton.
“I’d like to think progression-wise he’s learnt a lot,” Appleton said of Patino recently. “He’s certainly developed already in a short space of time.
“There’s parts of his game that people probably questioned – even at a very young age – whether he could cope with it, and obviously the physicality side of it was probably one. I think he’s dealt with that really, really well.
“I think he is far more competitive than what people give him credit for. He’s had to play in two or three different positions and had two or three different roles in terms of what we want from him. He’s enjoyed that, he’s stepped up and taken the responsibility at a very young age.
“I think both ourselves and Arsenal are delighted with Charlie. I think Charlie is in a good place and he’s looking forward to the games coming up.”
