Charlie Patino is close to making a permanent departure from Arsenal to join Deportivo La Coruna in a transfer worth around £1million with a sell-on clause included.
Patino, 20, has made two appearances for Arsenal and memorably scored on his debut in a 5-1 home win over Sunderland in the 2021-22 season.
The midfielder has been sent on loan in the past two seasons, with spells at Blackpool in 2022-23 and Swansea City last term.
Similar to Brooke Norton-Cuffy, who has joined Serie A side Genoa, Patino was not used in any of Arsenal’s first team pre-season games with a permanent exit always likely.
An England youth international from under-15 through to under-21 level, the academy product has a Spanish passport which makes a move appealing for European clubs.
Patino featured in pre-season for Arsenal (David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Highly rated throughout his time in Arsenal’s youth setup, Patino has shown quality in senior football but in glimpses which have not always been controllable.
He was signed on loan by Michael Duff at Swansea last season, who started Patino in 10 of 16 league games before his sacking in December 2023. Duff’s successor, Luke Williams, started Patino just once in the second half of the season which was the final game of the 2023-24 campaign.
The midfielder is most well known for his slaloming runs through midfield but these loans have sought to expose him to the physical aspects of senior football.
He scored against Premier League Southampton during his loan at Blackpool, after which then-manager Mick McCarthy said: “The willingness to do it (the hard yards) is great. I’ve loved working with him for the last few days, he’s going to be a very good player.”
A talented player, playing in Spain could fit his style more than his loan to the Championship in recent seasons.
(David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
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