Charlie Patino : The long wait for a proper midfielder from Hale End ends for Arsenal

Charlie Patino is the one Midfielder from Hale End with the prospect of representing Arsenal's first team in a while now and there is no denying he has the potential to star for the club.

Arsenal do have the reputation of moulding and promoting youngsters to star for the club on the big stage but it has been a while since they have a midfielder come through the ranks.

Infact, hardly have they been able to integrate one into the system since Jack Wilshere in the 2000s.

Albeit they have had the likes of Joe Willock, who is now thriving at Newcastle United, the youngster never really fit into the system under Mikel Arteta's Arsenal despite being afforded several chances by the Spaniard.

Yunus Musah is having a good career in the La Liga with Valencia and even starred for the US Men National Team in the FIFA World Cup in Qatar late last year but the 21year old could not for his time at Arsenal and left Hale End in 2019 as a 16-year-old.

Ismael Bennacer, currently of AC Milan and one of the best midfielders in the Italian topflight was also a product of the club's Academy but would not get the chance to star for the club.

He never got the chance to become a regular under Arsène Wenger and was sent out on loan in 2017. While with Empoli in Italy, he earned the status as one of the most promising youngsters in Europe but the Algerian was never meant to be a regular at Arsenal.

Arsenal even turned down the chance to resign him given the clause in his contract when he signed for Empoli in the summer of 2017, then he joined Milan on a permanent contract.

There is also Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who was made to play at right back because his quality does not match that of the other midfielders at the club.

A club that has in the past produced the likes Cesc Fabregas and Jack Wilshere, great talents who made waves with the first team, bar the injuries, which limited the career of the latter.

Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah and more have emerged recently from the Academy and have become established in the first team, producing good performances and consistently.

Even though the team is much improved than in recent years, these youngsters are part of the main reasons of the good turnaround, and they have remained the knight in shining armor for the fans in the Emirates.

However, it remained a mystery how the club has been unable to produce midfielders from the ranks. Miguel Azeez is huge potential and the club has been looking at him for a couple of years now.

The Midfielder, now 20 and has so far struggled to replicate his performances in the youth team on the senior level. His month, his loan to UD Ibiza in the Spanish second division has been cut short and he has joined Preston North End in the week 

Azeez did not impress in Spain and it's obvious neither Mikel Arteta or even any manager will be convinced by him. However, the English youngster gets the chance to try again.

The signs hasn't been positive for his future at the club but who knows, a player of such potential could again regain his class and convince the Arsenal manager he has to be considered a part of the process, moving forward.

The good news for Arsenal is, one of their own is actually proving worthy of getting into the first team, and no wonder the club activated the two year option in his contract just last week. He could also be one of the few reasons Arsenal ended their pursuit of Danilo of Palmeiras.

Charlie Patino is more and more appearing the chosen one. The Midfielder, currently on loan at Blackpool in the Championship has been a top performer for the club since joining from Arsenal in the summer.

Patino was snapped up from Luton by Arsène Wenger in 2015 as a 12-year-old. His progress has since been monitored in all his years in Hale End and was given his debut against Sunderland in the EFL Cup in 2020.

Even though he was only a subbed on in the 80th minute, the youngster scored Arsenal's fifth goal to announce himself to the world in the 5-1 win and ever since, fans have grown fond of him.

He continued to impress for the youth team and at the start of this season, sent out on loan for more first team experience and the move to Blackpool has proven to be just what the now 19year old needs to prepare him ready for the responsibility at Arsenal.

Patino can play anywhere across the midfield. He is a very good ball playing midfielder while he can also act as a destroyer. Intercepting play and regaining possession for his team. Under Mikel Arteta, he would become even better.

He has been compared to Barcelona's Frenkie De Jong as their game look so much familiar. Like Frenkie, Patino can take on players and protect the ball to get away from opponents. He is a good understudy specimen to both Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey.

He is a technically gifted player and also thrives in dealing with dead balls, mostly in crossing them for teammates to attack. He has a high percentage rate of crosses completed in the Championship with 59.

According to squawka, no english teenager has made more interceptions in Europe this season than Arsenal loaned star, Charlie Patino (27).

Patino also sits just one behind Jude Bellingham on goal involvements with his two goals and as many assists for Blackpool.

In his first start for Arsenal, it ended in a 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup but Patino has been able to get his revenge against The Tricky Trees as his Blackpool side defeated them 4-1 in the same round of the competition this season.

Despite only playing 68 minutes of the match, he made more successful tackles (4) and won more aerial duels (4) than any other Blackpool player in the match.

In the Championship, he has played 20 games and even though Blackpool’s position on the log is not impressive, Patino has been their knight in shining armor and no one could fault his impact in helping the club stay out of the dropzone.

He is one tipped for a big future at Arsenal and to finally put an end to the years of wait for a midfielder from Hale End to secure a place in the Arsenal's first team.

Author : Kehinde Hassan Afolabi