Arsene Wenger insisted Arsenal have "no weak position" earlier this week - but there are question marks over Mikel Arteta's midfield.
Thomas Partey, Mohamed Elneny and Fabio Vieira have all suffered injuries this season, leaving Arteta short in that department. The Gunners attempted to sign Douglas Luiz from Aston Villa on deadline day, such is their need for midfield reinforcements.
Yet Arteta might already have an answer to the problem in the form of Charlie Patino, an 18-year-old academy graduate just making his way in the game. The England youth international is currently on loan at Blackpool and is starring in the Championship.
Patino joined the Tangerines on a season-long loan in the summer and scored his first Championship goal on Saturday afternoon, as Blackpool lost 2-1 against Millwall at The Den. It was a nice goal, too, calmly finishing a lovely move by Michael Appleton's side.
Patino has done well during his short time at Bloomfield Road, making six appearances in all competitions. An injury did cause him to miss four games, yet he's fit again and will be keen to make an impression before the season is paused for the World Cup.
The Arsenal talent's name is already being chanted by the Blackpool fans - and he's impressed manager Appleton. The fact Patino has stood out in the Championship - a league renowned for it's toughness - suggests he might just be the real deal.
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"I thought he was great," said Appleton after Patino's debut. "I thought he showed a calmness. He showed an old head on very, very young shoulders and I enjoyed watching him. I think the Blackpool fans over the coming season are going to enjoy watching him."
Patino's exploits at Blackpool will come as no surprise to Arsenal fans who've followed his progress in recent years. He joined the club's academy from Luton Town in 2015. The Gunners paid £10,000 to sign the 11-year-old, which already looks like a bargain.
Patino scored on his senior debut for Arsenal in the 5-1 EFL Cup win against Sunderland in December 2021 and was on the bench for their final four Premier League games last season as they chased a top-four finish, although he didn't get on the pitch.
The Blackpool loanee has already picked up plenty of admirers, including legendary defender Rio Ferdinand. "Go on YouTube and watch his clips," Ferdinand told BT Sport in December 2021, shortly after his debut goal. "It’s a joke what you see, the talent he’s got.
"I’ve spoken to people at Arsenal and what they say about him in terms of this kid, talent-wise, could potentially be the best of the lot that’s come out in recent years. It’s a huge bar, but this kid has the talent and the big, big part of him is his mentality.
"When you talk to anybody who knows him, mentally, he doesn’t get carried away, doesn’t get too low, doesn’t get too high, very balanced kid, but has all the fundamentals in his game to really go to the top of the tree.
"This kid is the next. I just feel, when you watch him, there’s a beautiful way he plays, the balance, the rhythm, the fans will enjoy watching him."
Arteta was quick to quash the hype surrounding Patino after the Sunderland game. He said: "We have to cook him slowly. Today was a good start, I think... He still has a lot of competition in front of him. He is really young - and he needs to go step by step."
Yet if Patino continues to perform for Blackpool this season, Arteta may have no choice but to play him next term. The Arsenal boss is keen to bolster his midfield, but he should wait until next summer to see if Patino is ready to take the Premier League by storm.
