Arteta could repeat Saliba plan after Arsenal trio's advice to wonderkid

15 October 2023 , 06:38

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Charlie Patino is doing well at Swansea (Image: Getty Images)

Arsenal youngster Charlie Patino is hoping to break into Mikel Arteta's starting XI in the future - despite being sent out on loan.

Patino, 19, is one of the most exciting talents to graduate from Arsenal's academy in recent years but has been forced to complete a series of temporary spells to impress Arteta. He spent last season at Blackpool and is currently on loan at Swansea.

In comparison, Bukayo Saka went straight into Arsenal's first-team squad after graduating from the academy. Yet it's not impossible to become one of Arteta's key players after completing a series of loan spells, as William Saliba will tell you.

Saliba waited three years to make his Arsenal debut after arriving from Saint-Etienne in the summer of 2019 and was sent out on loan three times. Yet the defender is now one Arsenal's most important players. Patino is hoping to follow in Saliba's footsteps.

Patino was asked about Saliba during an interview with the Daily Mail. He said: "It’s inspiring to see someone from Arsenal being able to go on loan, make a name for himself and come back and show his qualities at Arsenal because it is a massive club."

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Patino has also praised Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah for supporting him. Like Saka, Smith Rowe and Nketiah also graduated from Arsenal's academy. "Training with them every day has helped me develop on and off the pitch," said the teenager.

Patino believes he's learnt from the trio and has described Saka and club captain Martin Odegaard as "real leaders". He added: "Bukayo - he’s come up through the ranks - and getting advice from him and Smith Rowe has been really good for me.

William Saliba got his chance at Arsenal after an impressive loan spell at Marseille (Getty Images)

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"When I first went over to train with the first team, Emile, Eddie, Bukayo, they came over to me, put their arms around my shoulder and just said, 'Enjoy yourself, play with a smile on your face and just express yourself'."

Patino, who is part of England's U21 squad for this month's internationals, insists he wants to "keep racking up the numbers" in terms of appearances and help Swansea win promotion to the Premier League. The Welsh club are currently 12th in the Championship.

The young midfielder made 37 appearances for Blackpool last season but couldn't stop them from suffering relegation to League One. He's already played nine times for Swansea this season, helping them win four consecutive Championship games.

Patino notes that "everyone's journey is different" and is aware of the depth of Arsenal's squad, with the likes of Fabio Vieira and Jorginho on the bench. Yet he insists: "It’s about getting to where you want to get to... I want to play in the first team at Arsenal."

Tom Blow