The Arsenal academy product dubbed "the best kid I’ve ever seen" by the scout who found him has agreed a move that could hugely shape his future.
The Gunners have leant heavily on their Hale End production line in recent seasons, with manager Mikel Arteta building the core of his squad around its talents. Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka became cornerstones under the Basque boss before Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah established themselves, too.
And now one teen who's deemed to be better than even those four has agreed an encouraging deal ahead of his own pathway to the first team.
Italian transfer oracle Fabrizio Romano has given his iconic "here we go" confirmation to Arsenal starlet Charlie Patino changing his mind and agreeing to a loan to Swansea City in the Championship.
Previously, Welsh journalist Darren Whitcoop reported that the Jacks' rivals, Cardiff City, were chasing the England youth star, with Patino wanting to leave permanently in search of first-team football. Journalist Chris Wheatley added that the Gunners' preference was to insert a buyback clause in any deal, with Whitcoop saying that this is proving problematic in negotiations.
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After an apparent change of heart, however, it is just a loan to Swansea for the player that scout Brian Stapleton told GOAL was incomparable to any other he ever discovered for the Gunners.
“Of all the years I’ve been scouting, he’s the best kid I’ve ever seen,” Stapleton said. “I got a tip off about Charlie from a guy, so I went over there and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. He was 11 and I think he was playing in the Under-13s, and I was like ‘wow’.”
Intriguingly, this move could set Patino's future up nicely, with his contract expiring in 2025. The midfielder is left-footed, a perfect option for the left-sided role of Arteta's midfield three – and with Thomas Partey linked with other clubs this summer and also approaching the end of end of his deal in 2025, Arsenal could be presented with a choice of replacing Partey with Patino next summer, selling the former and extending the latter.
The Gunners will see this as a huge boost and a welcome positive for a player they would have previously thought they would have to sell permanently this summer.
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