There is so much to like if you are an Arsenal fan right now. The team is top of the Premier League, the performances are dazzling, and the Emirates Stadium has become an absolute fortress. To make things even better, a number of the Gunners' loanees are also enjoying a very positive start to the season.
Alongside the likes of Folarin Balogun, Nuno Tavares and Austin Trusty, Charlie Patino is one of the club's young stars making a name for himself as he looks to impress at Blackpool. Often labelled as the 'next Jack Wilshere', Patino's exceptional talent has seen him successfully climb the ranks of both the Hale End and Arsenal academies in recent years.
Now 18 years of age, the time had come for Patino to gain regular experience within a first-team environment following two cup appearances for Mikel Arteta's side last season. In what can only be described as a dream debut, the youngster came off the bench to score against Sunderland in the Carabao Cup at the Emirates Stadium, again highlighting the potential he possesses.
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Once the decision was made to loan out Patino for the 2022/23 season, there was far from a shortage of interested clubs. However, Championship side Blackpool were seen as an ideal fit for the England Under-20s international to further his development.
Tangerines head coach Michael Appleton said: "Charlie is one of the best midfielders in his age group," after he arrived at Bloomfield Road, and it didn't take long for everyone to see why. Despite initially being eased into action, Patino earned his first start against QPR after impressing in previous cameos from the bench. However, a nasty injury soon cut short his involvement.
After rolling his ankle, it was feared that Patino would be out of action for months, but thankfully no surgery was required, and it would only turn out to be a few weeks on the sideline. It was a frustrating setback and far from ideal, but Patino has wasted no time in getting back on track and showing everyone what he's capable of.
A number of impressive displays, most noticeably against Norwich, Watford, Sunderland and Millwall, have meant he has become one of the first names on the team sheet, with a goal against the latter a much-needed boost after enduring a tough period out of action. "The way he easily glided past the Sunderland midfield's attempts to tackle him was breathtaking", one Blackpool fan said on Twitter.
Such performances have understandably caught the attention of Arsenal fans, who are delighted to see him doing well and desperate for him to be involved with the first team in some capacity moving forward. According to The Athletic, Patino's contract expires next summer, and although the Gunners have an option to extend it by two years, it must be exercised 'prior to a set date in the months ahead' in order to avoid renegotiation.
It's added that representatives from Arsenal were in attendance to watch Patino shine in a 3-1 win against Watford on Saturday, playing his third senior game within a week for the first time in his career. The match report that returned to north London would have no doubt been a positive one, making a decision to extend his contract even easier than it probably was already.
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