One ‘big talent’ Arsenal gem will ‘inevitably’ leave, Arteta blamed for poor management

Add as preferred source on Google

Journalist Charles Watts has now admitted that he expects one Hale End academy gem to leave Arsenal this summer. 

Arsenal are set for a busy summer transfer window.

Mikel Arteta will seek to strengthen his squad in several key areas, but there are also expected to be plenty of departures from the Emirates Stadium. 

Thirteen Arsenal players could leave the club at the end of this season. 

Charlie Patino is now another name that can be added to that list. The Hale End academy product is currently plying his trade on loan with Championship side Swansea City, but is expected to depart the North London club on a permanent basis. 

Arsenal set to sell Charlie Patino

According to Charles Watts, reporting for Caught Offside, “Talks are planned for the end of the season, but I would be very surprised if Patino is still an Arsenal player when the summer window closes this time around. He will still have one year left on his deal and as far as I’m aware, a new one won’t be signed. So it just feels inevitable that he will leave on a permanent basis.

“It will be a shame because he’s a big talent and maybe he could have been managed a bit better.”

Patino has made 32 appearances in the second tier for Swansea this season, but has been used far more sparingly by the Welsh club in the second half of the campaign, largely being restricted to late cameos from the bench since the turn of the year.

There is no denying that the 20-year-old, who has been on the books with Arsenal since the age of 11, is supremely gifted. He possesses excellent technical ability and boasts an impressive range of passing, but the chance for him to make a breakthrough at the Emirates Stadium now looks to have passed by.

Did Mikel Arteta mishandle Charlie Patino at Arsenal?

Arteta has talked up Patino’s future at Arsenal in the past. At one point the club had high hopes for the youngster. Now, though, it seems that with the next generation of home grown prospects emerging, with the likes of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly pushing for first-team involvement, the decision has been made to cash-in on the England under-21 international. 

In any case, Patino is thought to be uninterested in working with Arteta himself. If the youngster does leave this summer and goes on to shine at the highest level elsewhere, then the manager’s handling of his development will be called into question. 

In truth, though, the midfielder has not impressed consistently enough for Swansea to suggest that he could seriously contribute for the Gunners at senior level next season. 

Due to his obvious potential, Arsenal ought to fetch a decent price for Patino. With midfield acquisitions on the cards, those extra funds could prove to be very useful.