Arsenal have some top talents coming through the Hale End Academy, but the sad reality is that not all of them will succeed within the club.
Mikel Arteta may not have believed his luck that Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe were coming out of the Academy in his first season as manager, and they were supported by the likes of Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson.
The Academy is producing some wonderful young talents, but opportunities may still be tough for them with Arsenal competing at the top end of the Premier League and in the late stages of the Champions League.
Fans were frustrated when the likes of Reuell Walters and Myles Lewis-Skelly were not given opportunities in dead-rubber games earlier this season, but Ethan Nwaneri has now been given more first-team chances, as the standout prospect within the Academy, and this could lead to a first-team role next season. However, this will come at the expense of another top prospect.
Arsenal to sell Charlie Patino in the summer transfer window
A report from The Standard has now revealed that starlet Charlie Patino is set to leave in the summer, with both Arsenal and the player recognising that he is unlikely to break into the first-team.
The 20-year-old is currently on loan at Swansea City, and was recognised as one of the best talents to emerge in the Academy in a long time when he broke through in 2021.
The midfielder has one year left on his contract, and the emergence of Nwaneri means that the club will focus on the teenager’s development at his expense, and a permanent move will be sanctioned.
Clubs in Spain are said to be interested in the midfielder, who has a Spanish passport as a result of his father, with it currently unclear what kind of fee Arsenal will look for.
Charlie Patino’s Arsenal career is now over
Although Arsenal could look to insert a buyback clause in any sale, it seems unlikely that there will ever be a point where Patino is lining up in midfield for the Gunners.
There is already stiff competition for a spot, with Smith Rowe and Fabio Vieira struggling for game time as it is, and despite his talent, Patino’s lack of physicality compared to an option like Declan Rice made him a poor fit for Arteta.
Patino could thrive in a technically-minded team, and a move to La Liga could see him harness his passing and dribbling skills further. His potential is high, but at this point in his career, he needs to be playing regularly at a club where he has a more stable future than he does at Arsenal.