Arsenal midfielder Charlie Patino could leave the club this summer as he is not currently in talks with the club over a new contract, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Patino has long been highly rated at the Emirates Stadium, and there’ll no doubt be some fans keen to see the youngster become the next homegrown talent to make it into the senior team after the rise of other academy stars like Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe.
Still, it seems Romano expects there could be a chance for Patino to leave permanently this summer after his spell on loan at Swansea City this term, with the transfer news expert admitting that there haven’t been any discussions yet over the possibility of him signing a new deal with the Gunners.
Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for his latest Daily Briefing column, Romano didn’t name any names in terms of clubs looking to sign Patino, but he suggested a decision could come soon as Arsenal will likely have talks with the player at the end of the season.
Patino transfer: Arsenal midfielder could leave, says Romano
Discussing Patino’s future, Romano said: “At the moment, there are no talks between Charlie Patino and Arsenal over a new deal. So it’s a possibility for the young midfielder to leave the club in the summer, but I’m told that final decision will be made at the end of the season when there will be talks with the player’s representatives. Let’s see how that conversation will go.”
Some Arsenal fans will be disappointed by this update, but perhaps there’s still some chance that Patino and the club will come to some kind of agreement for him to stay and fight for a first-team place next season.
Even if the 20-year-old faces a major uphill struggle to be a regular starter in Mikel Arteta’s side, he could surely have a role to play as a squad player, so it will be interesting to see how this situation evolves.