While everyone at Arsenal knows of the potential star that is Charlie Patino, Mikel Arteta clearly felt it was too early to use him regularly this season.
That’s why a loan to Swansea was arranged, where the young midfielder has already left his mark, assisting three times in four games, with hopefully a lot more to come.
He also impressed at Blackpool during a temporary spell from Arsenal there, with three goals and four assists in 37 appearances, which allowed him to get a lot of experience under his belt and showcase his ability to a wider audience, such as talent spotters around Europe.
One of those is scout and market intermediary Michele Fratini, who was asked by Goalist in Italy who he would recommend to Italian football.
He said: “Maybe I think it’s too late to recommend him, but I can’t help it: Charlie Patino, class of 2003, owned by Arsenal. He’s one of the greatest midfielders around. Left-footed, has innate class and is complete, as he’s adept at recovering balls as well.
“Plays long balls well and has an excellent long range shot. I put five stars on him. He’s a diamond. I saw him two years ago, but now he’s consecrating himself by taking over Arsenal, one of the biggest teams in England. For him, if I were a chairman, I’d do crazy things”
Born in Watford, Patino has been at Arsenal since 2015, when he joined from Luton Academy for a reported compensation of €11k.
He has slowly made his way through the ranks, and even represented the Gunners first-team twice, scoring on his debut in a 10 minute cameo during a 5-1 EFL Cup win over Sunderland before starting in an FA Cup 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest a few weeks later.
