Arsenal have been enjoying something of a resurgence over the last couple of years under the management of Mikel Arteta. They have once again come to be defined by free-flowing, entertaining and, above all, effective football.

They have reaffirmed their place near the top of the Premier League as regular title challengers alongside the Manchester City and Liverpools of the world, and perhaps most importantly, the club have once again joined the European elite in the Champions League.

However, it wasn't that long ago that the club were well and truly in the trenches – well, as much as a 'big six' side can be in the trenches anyway – and were relying on their youth products to bail them out of an ever-increasing spiral of footballing despair.

Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Emile Smith-Rowe and even Eddie Nketiah, to an extent, all stepped up when it looked like Arteta was heading to the nearest job centre.

Saka could reach new levels if Arsenal sign £120m "goal-scoring machine"

Saka could level up with new £120m teammate.

ByJack Salveson Holmes

These players have now either become a core part of the starting XI or play an important squad role for the side and yet, there is another Hale End graduate who could come in and make a name for himself in the coming seasons.

One that could ultimately save the Gunners the tens of millions it would take to sign Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz: Charlie Patino.

Charlie Patino's youth Statistics

Patino has firmly established himself as a senior, fully-fledged professional footballer these days thanks to his recent and relatively successful loan spell away from north London, but when he was regularly turning out for the Arsenal youth sides, he was making quite a name for himself.

Across the U18 Premier League and Premier League 2, for example, the "special talent", as described by journalist Phil Smith, scored two goals and provided five assists, but he hasn't just been putting in the work at club level.

From the U15 level to U21, Patino has earned 22 England caps, with his debut for the U21 side coming against Luxembourg in September of this year.

Overall, his time as a club-level youth player was incredibly impressive, and the midfield "maestro", as labelled by football scout Jacek Kulig, certainly justified the hype with his performances.

Charlie Patino last season

After impressing at youth level and making two senior appearances for the Gunners, Patino made his first loan move away from the Emirates and joined Championship side Blackpool for the 2022/23 season.

The 6 foot midfielder made 37 appearances in all competitions for the Seasiders, scoring three goals and providing four assists.

It was a fantastic platform for the former Luton Town youngster to show his quality, and when the club were drawn against Premier League side Southampton in the FA Cup, he took his chance and scored a brilliant goal that caught a lot of attention.

However, it was a rather bleak campaign for the club as a whole, and they ended up getting relegated after finishing in 23rd place.

That said, while the surrounding team struggled to deal with the demands of England's second tier, Patino looked more than comfortable, as if he was destined to patrol Premier League midfields one day; at least, that was how his manager, Michael Appleton, certainly seemed to feel about him when he said:

"We've used him as a six, an eight, even as a number 10 at times. He deals with it, he copes with it, he's got an understanding of the game beyond his years.

"He can deal with the ball and move it, he's got a big future ahead of him."

And there's only one way if Appleton was right.

Charlie Patino vs Douglas Luiz this season

So we have seen the steady progression of Arsenal's promising youngster from youth team gem to Championship star, but how is he faring this season?

Well, he was sent to Swansea City on loan for the 2023/24 campaign, and while the Swans aren't necessarily where they want to be in the table, they are significantly better off than Blackpool were, and Patino has a large part to play in that.

So far, the 20-year-old dynamo has made 14 appearances for the club this season, in which he has scored two goals and provided four assists, which, when broken down, gives him a goal involvement every 135 minutes – not bad from a central midfielder.

In comparison, Luiz has also made 14 appearances, but he has scored five goals and provided two assists, which, when broken down, gives him a goal involvement every 172 minutes of football.

While this difference could certainly be chalked down to the oppositional quality, it still suggests that the Arsenal youngster has the ability to influence his side's attacking threat, starting from a deeper position.

Okay, how about their underlying numbers, then?

Well, perhaps unsurprisingly, Luiz is the more complete player, and his statistics show it. The Brazilian produces more progressive carries and passes per 90, more shot-creating actions per 90 and wins significantly more tackles per 90 than his younger competition.

Stat

Luiz

Patino

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists per 90

0.16

0.31

Progressive Carries per 90

2.39

1.33

Progressive Passes per 90

5.52

4.44

Shots on target percentage

23.8%

25%

Shot Creating Actions per 90

4.04

3.91

Tackles won per 90

1.72

0.67

Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 Premier League & Championship Season

However, Patino produces almost twice the non-penalty expected goals and expected assists as the Villa man and is more accurate when he is in front of goal. Furthermore, aside from tackles, the Hale End graduate isn't too far off his competition, especially given the age gap.

Ultimately, the question Arteta and Edu Gasper have to ask themselves is whether they think it's worth spending the £60m plus required to sign the Villa star, who Paul Merson regards as "the most underrated player in the Premier League", or save that money and promote Patino into the first team.