FC Barcelona Looking to Steal Arsenal Teenage Sensation Charlie Patino

According to reports in Italy, Arsenal will be facing a challenge to keep hold of Charlie Patino, with FC Barcelona looking to steal the teenager next summer. The 19-year-old midfielder is currently on loan at Championship side Blackpool FC.

Charlie Patino has scored two goals and assisted twice in the 16 appearances he has made for Blackpool this season in the second-tier league of English football (stats via Transfermarkt). He has featured twice for the Gunners senior team, but the strong competition at the North London club has denied the teenager enough game-time.

The last time he played for the Gunners, he started the game against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup where the club failed to get a positive result. Before that, he came on as a substitute against Sunderland and scored a goal in a 5-1 win in the Carabao Cup.

Charlie Patino, Barcelona, Arsenal — Image obtained via Instagram/@charliepatino10

Nevertheless, the English youngster’s two senior appearances for Arsenal shows that manager Mikel Arteta does value the player. But the Gunners boss was not able to promise him enough game time which led to the 19-year-old’s loan move to the Championship.

Now, according to Calciomercato (via The Sun), Barcelona are ready to pounce on the chance to sign Arsenal teenager Charlie Patino if the moment comes. The Italian outlet claims the Englishman as ‘one of the most precious diamonds in the landscape of England’s youth.’

The youngster, who has been dubbed as ‘The next big thing’, has a contract with Arsenal U21 till the end of this season. The North London side have the option to extend his contract by two years, which is very likely to happen.

Barcelona are interested in Charlie Patino.

— @cmdotcom pic.twitter.com/k19Inf3YEw

— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) November 17, 2022

However, should Arsenal lose focus and fail to extend the contract of Charlie Patino, Barcelona are waiting on the wings to pounce and lure him away to Camp Nou. Meanwhile, the 19-year-old has to make a decision within the next few months as the Spanish giants are monitoring his growth very closely.

Nevertheless, the Gunners would not want to let Patino go so easily. They fought against Chelsea and Manchester City to sign the youngster. They would want to avoid their efforts going to waste. Arsenal are looking for a midfield option anyways and the youngster’s growth might help them to some extent.

Why Arsenal Should Prevent Charlie Patino From Leaving The Club?

Charlie Patino has made 1.3 tackles while also completing 1.3 interceptions. He also got fouled 1.5 times per game this season in the Championship (stats via Whoscored). The central midfielder is comfortable with the ball at his feet and is very versatile while playing in the middle of the pitch.

In addition, Patino does not shy away from taking a shot from distance. He also likes to create plays with his key passes and seeks to make interceptions or important blocks in the defensive half of the pitch. The only thing that the youngster lacks is a bit of physicality and some experience at the highest level.

Arsenal are searching for a backup for Granit Xhaka. Patino could be a good option to have on the bench while Xhaka’s replacement, arriving from the transfer market, starts the game. However, they will have to bind the young midfielder to the club for that to be the case.

The English midfielder is also eligible to play for Spain in the future because of the origins of his father. The Spanish FA has tried to tempt the 19-year-old to change his national allegiance. The Catalans could find this beneficial in their pursuit of the player.

Patino has become a fan-favourite at Blackpool and they have even made songs about him. This suggests how big of an impact he can have at a club and that he has the potential to become an important player for Arsenal someday.

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