Teenage midfielder Charlie Patino is loving life with Arsenal’s first-team, telling Vavel that he’s grateful for the support of Premier League stars Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, Ben White and Alexandre Lacazette.
It’s usually the mark of a rather special talent, when you’ve heard so much about them long before they’ve even made their senior debut.
Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United were queuing up to sign a baby-faced Raheem Sterling before he joined Liverpool from Queens Park Rangers a decade ago, convinced that the 15-year-old whizzkid was a star in the making (Mail).
Clips of Mason Greenwood finding the net with both feet, from every range and every angle, were flooding social media long before he was scoring for fun at senior level.
And while Patino is yet to make a single first-team appearance in Arsenal colours, there is a real, audible buzz surrounding the Watford-born youngster.
So much so that, according to manager Mikel Arteta, the then-17-year-old was ‘very close’ to making his Gunners debut during September’s Carabao Cup victory over AFC Wimbledon.
Do Arsenal have a future superstar in Charlie Patino?
With Patino now honing his talents day-in, day-out against some of the Premier League’s most talented footballers, it seems only a matter of time before he is following in the footsteps of Buakyo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and co.
“It’s been a brilliant experience working alongside the first team coaches and players,” explains Patino.
“You really see how good you have to be to earn a place in the squad. All of the players have been really supportive, and I’ve had regular chats with Laca, Ben (White), Pablo (Mari), Emile and Bukayo.”
“It means a lot to me as the club have helped me get to where I am today and I hope it’s just the beginning to more good things to come in the future for at Arsenal.”
Arsenal scout Brian Stapleton told Goal recently that Patino was ‘the best kid I’ve ever seen’ in all his years in football.
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