The New Year means it’s awards season in football as various publications configure their lists of best players, youngsters and teams from the past calendar year.
FourFourTwo have done their annual top 50 teenagers of the year list, and there is one entry in particular that may be of interest to Arsenal fans.
Indeed, Charlie Patino, the Gunners loanee currently shining at Blackpool, was listed as the 13th brightest teenage talent in world football right now.
Not only did Patino rank highly on the list, he also received an incredible write-up from the publication who went as far as to compare him to Jude Bellingham.
Patino hailed
FourFourTwo gave the youngster a glowing review.
“He contributes to every phase of play even at such a young age. With the build of an British No.10 and the technicality of a Spaniard. He’s not afraid to call for the ball and he constantly looks for the forward pass. He’s effortless in possession, astute out of it and he can arrive late in the box, too,” They wrote.
“Are you reading this, Mr Southgate? He’s essentially got the Jude Bellingham toolkit without the Bundesliga experience. Patino might be a star of English football for the next decade, too.”
A lot to prove
It’s all well and good to tip Patino to go to the very top, and by the looks of things he has the ability to do just that.
However, he still has so much to prove in this game and he can’t let this praise go to his head.
The reality is that he’s never started a Premier League game in his life, and that step up from Championship to Premier League can swallow up even the most talented of footballers.
Arsenal do have a gem on their hands here, but they need to make sure he stays focused and fulfils his potential.
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