Arsene Wenger’s decision to sign wonderkid Charlie Patino in 2015 is starting to bear fruit, with the youngster scoring on his debut for the Gunners in their win over Sunderland on Tuesday night.
Patino, 18, came on from the bench against the Black Cats to make his debut for the club after impressing at youth level.
The midfielder has made 12 appearances in Premier League 2 this season, also facing senior opposition in Swindon Town and Ipswich Town in the EFL Trophy for the under-23s.
In his short spell as a substitute at the Emirates Stadium, the England youth international managed to find the back of the net with a late run and finish from Nicolas Pepe’s cross.
It capped off a fantastic night for Arsenal and their youngsters, with Eddie Nketiah scoring a hat-trick, Folarin Balogun also starting along with regular first-teamers in Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka, who came from the bench.
The dream debut for Patino also justified a six-year mission laid out by Wenger and his staff back in 2015.
The Gunners began to make changes to the Hale End academy in the aim to compete with the top English clubs that were producing talent at the time.
The likes of Chelsea and Liverpool were renowned for their ability to have waves of young talent on their books, whether they played for the club or went on to make a future transfer fee.
The decision has been justified by the likes of Smith Rowe, Saka and Nketiah becoming names featured regularly in first-team squads and starting line-ups.
Patino could well be the next, with the youngster joining in 2015 under Wenger for a reported £10,000 fee in compensation from Luton Town when the side were in League Two.
Arteta discussed the youngster in his pre-match press conference for Norwich City on Boxing Day, and said: “Charlie is with us more and more in training sessions, yesterday was his first competitive match which was a beautiful day for him and everybody involved in the club and we’ll go slowly from there.
“If we need him, we’ll use him, if the numbers are quiet. But we have to throw him in there when we believe he’s ready and he’s making the right steps and we’re really happy with where we are.”
Arteta’s side could have been without the young midfielder though, who had the choice between Arsenal and a late approach from Manchester City.
However, he opted for the Emirates Stadium, and could become a regular there in the future, with Patino becoming touted to be a big talent for the coming years.
It's fair to say the Arsenal fans on social media were pleased with the decision. Reacting to a post from @afcstuff that highlighted the £10,000 deal, some replied:
@0fficialCk: Wenger again we Thank you
@baley_tim: Warra bargain
@CoachButha: Thanks LEGENDARY Wenger
@Bayer04DreVc: Just came from the future to say this is the best 10,000 ever spent by Arsenal.
