Arsenal have enjoyed an encouraging start to the 2023/24 season, however there is plenty to be celebrated away from north London with reference to the future of the squad on show at the Emirates.
Mikel Arteta will know first-hand just how successful loan spells for young players can prevail to be, with William Saliba’s time on loan in Ligue 1 fundamental to his development to make him the player he is today.
As well as loans being valuable to the squad, the Gunners made a profitable decision to send academy product Folarin Balogun to Reims last season on a temporary basis, with the striker's 21 goals in Ligue 1 warranting his £35m sale to Monaco in the summer.
Now, Arsenal could be harvesting the next star to progress from Hale End whilst away from Colney, with Charlie Patino making a name for himself in South Wales on loan at Swansea City.
Charlie Patino’s career so far
After joining the scene at Hale End at the age of 11 from Luton Town, Patino has progressed through the ranks in north London over the years, earning two senior appearances for his efforts at youth level.
Described as an 'elegant central midfielder' on Arsenal’s official site, the 20-year-old looks to be in for an exciting future in senior football, based on his progression from the U18’s and U21’s to playing in the English second-tier on a regular basis.
For the U18s, the Englishman netted one goal and recorded four assists in 25 appearances, before linking up with the U21 in which he netted two and assisted once in 22 appearances, via Transfermarkt.
Club
Apps
Goals
Assists
Arsenal U18
25
1
4
Arsenal U21
22
2
1
Arsenal
2
1
0
Blackpool
37
3
4
Swansea City
12
1
4
Figures via Transfermarkt
As a result of his eye-capturing performances in the academy, Arteta handed Patino two appearances in the first team in the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup, with his quarterfinal cameo in the latter competition making the headlines as he netted his first senior goal.
The signs were all there for the Watford-born starlet to unlock the doors ahead of him at the Emirates, signalled by the next steps the club took in harvesting his talents, sending him on loan to Blackpool in the summer 2022.
During his time at Bloomfield Road, the 2003-born technician was lauded as “outstanding” by his former manager Michael Appleton at the age of only 18, telling of the joy he gave to the Seasiders.
In 37 appearances for the Championship outfit in the 2022/23 season, Patino scored three goals and recorded four assists, showcasing his skill at senior level with ease to the delight of those back at home in north London.
While the Arsenal starlet departed Blackpool as a hero, his plaudits came from beyond the Tangerines’ sphere, with one of his former opponents and Fulham academy gem Georgios Okkas telling London World of the 20-year-old’s innate talent.
As relayed by Arsenal Core, Okkas described Patino’s quality as “out of this world”, dubbing him “technically, wow” when discussing the best players he’s faced during his own budding career so far.
On his return, the Gunners triggered the option to extend the Hale End product’s contract to 2025, before offloading him on another loan in the second tier to enhance his performances further and guarantee him valuable minutes.
Charlie Patino’s stats this season
In the summer, Swansea became the proud new owners of Patino on a temporary basis, signing the midfielder on a season-long loan to add to their quality in central midfield.
Once praised to be a “maestro” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the Englishman has made a blistering start to life in South Wales, having secured 12 Championship appearances so far, where he has netted one goal and claimed four assists.
With the Swans, the Arsenal scholar is the club’s top creator so far, having averaged 1.5 key passes per game in the Championship, as well as providing the most assists in the team, via WhoScored.
2
1.5
81%
1.1
4.1
As portrayed in the table above, the midfielder has enjoyed expressing his playmaking qualities in the Championship, with his favoured position being in the number eight role as a box-to-box type player.
The youngster covers a mass of areas on the pitch, as showcased in his heatmap below this term in the second flight, attributive to his tireless style and ability to travel distances to exploit his ability in the engine room.
Not only is the 20-year-old one of the Swans’ top performers, but he is also prevailing to be one of the shining lights in the Championship, with his average of 0.47 assists per 90 placing him at the top of the pile in comparison to other midfielders in the league, via FBref.
How Charlie Patino compares to Arsenal's stars
From his creative eye to his ability to carry the ball, Patino is in good stead to have a bright future at Arsenal and beyond, with his statistics this season so far showing that he is actually outperforming some of the best in north London at present.
Having secured four assists, the England U21 international has more assists in the league than any of the Gunners in the Premier League, as fellow Hale End graduate Bukayo Saka currently tops the charts with three so far.
The 20-year-old has more assists than both Gabriel Martinelli (2) and Martin Odegaard (1) combined, who are two of Arteta’s poster boys at the Emirates, suggesting just how much of a creative input the starlet could one day have at his boyhood club.
There’s a long way left to go this season, and a long way to go in Patino’s career, however the signs are already pointing at the youngster becoming one of the next big things to break out of the academy, with Odegaard among those who may need to watch out if his impressive rise continues in the coming years.
With Arteta already on side after handing him two senior appearances in the past, it will be interesting to follow the next stages of the Englishman’s journey, particularly if his stellar form in South Wales continues.