Arsenal plan to insert buy-back clause into sale of ‘unbelievable’ Gunners player
According to Fabrizio Romano, it has been confirmed that Arsenal intends to include a provision allowing them to buy back young midfielder Charlie Patino if they decide to sell him this summer.
Patino, who is currently 19 years old, has been on loan at Blackpool, a team in the Championship, throughout this season. His performance at Bloomfield Road has been a mixed bag.
Initially, he played a crucial role for Blackpool under the management of Michael Appleton and even scored a goal in a 4-2 victory against Preston North End in October, which was part of the Lancashire derby.
However, after Mick McCarthy took over as the manager, Patino lost his place in the team and received two yellow cards during a 2-1 defeat to Swansea in February.
Towards the end of the season, Patino regained his form and started in each of Blackpool’s final four games. Despite his efforts, the team was unable to avoid relegation.
Throughout the season, there have been noticeable improvements in the development of the young player, especially in terms of his physical attributes. Charlie Patino will be returning to the Emirates Stadium this summer.
Nevertheless, it remains uncertain how long he will remain at Arsenal. According to reports from The Athletic, Patino desires to leave the club in the upcoming transfer window as he prefers not to go out on loan again.
Fabrizio Romano has now provided an update on Arsenal’s position regarding this matter.
Romano issues Patino transfer update
Taking to Twitter, Romano wrote: “Understand Arsenal will try to include a buy back clause into negotiations for Charlie Patino to keep control on the player for the future.
“Patino, set to leave the club as he will try new chapter on permanent deal but Arsenal hope to include an option into the deal.”
Highly regarded by the coaching staff at Arsenal’s academy, Charlie Patino is considered one of the most promising graduates from the Hale End academy in recent years.
In a 2021 interview with football.london, former Arsenal scout Brian Stapleton shared insights about how he discovered Patino and his initial impressions of the young midfielder.
He said: “Of all the years I’ve been scouting, he’s the best kid I’ve ever seen. I got a tip off about Charlie from a guy, so I went over there and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
“He was 11 and I think he was playing in the Under-13s, and I was like, ‘Wow’. His first touch was unbelievable, his vision, his awareness, his space. He was way above his years, he was on another planet to anyone else on the pitch.”
Arsenal plan to insert buy-back clause into sale of ‘unbelievable’ Gunners player