He was the best player Hale End had ever seen, Arsenal sold him for £1m and he’ll now play with Aubameyang

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The Arsenal Academy is one of the best in world football.

Hale End has produced several incredible players over the years, and some of them are shining in the Gunners’ first team today.

There are, however, a few players who were considered superstars in the making but ended up not fulfilling their potential.

Charlie Patino is one such player, and he is now about to link up with a former Arsenal captain: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Who is the one Arsenal academy player you thought would become a superstar but never did?

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Ex-Arsenal duo Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Charlie Patino team up at Deportivo de A Coruna

Aubameyang is 37 years old and still going strong.

After a controversial end to his Arsenal career, the Gabon star played for Barcelona, Chelsea, Marseille, Al Quadsiah and Marseille again.

This week, Aubameyang signed for Spanish side Deportivo de A Coruna following their promotion to La Liga after eight years out.

That is a massive signing for Superdepor, and Aubameyang will have a friendly face there – even though he never officially trained with him: Patino.

The 22-year-old, who joined the Arsenal academy at the age of 11 before leaving the club in 2024 for £1 million, has completed two full seasons at Deportivo.

Now, in the upcoming campaign, Patino will have the chance to play behind Aubameyang, and the two former Arsenal players could form a connection that many wished to see at the Emirates.

Charlie Patino was the best player Hale End had ever seen

Patino should’ve been in Arsenal’s first team now. Instead, he spent the last two seasons in the Spanish second division after being sold for almost nothing.

This is not how things were supposed to be for the young midfielder.

When he first got into the Arsenal academy, everyone at the club felt that he was going to be a superstar for the club one day.

In fact, he was even hailed as the best ever in the youth setup.

Former Arsenal scout Brian Stapleton told Goal in 2021: “Sean O’Connor discovered Jack Wilshere, and he said to me that Charlie is the best player who has ever walked through the doors at Hale End.”

It’s such a shame that he has not lived up to the hype, but he is still only 22. That means he has all the time in the world to prove his talent, and we really hope he does.