Barcelona are tracking young Arsenal midfielder Charlie Patino

Barcelona are tracking young Arsenal midfielder Charlie Patino

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The England youth international, also eligible for Spain, is currently on loan at Blackpool

Barcelona are interested in young Arsenal midfielder Charlie Patino, 19, who is out of contract next summer and currently on loan at Championship side Blackpool.

Patino, born in Watford but with a Spanish father, has been at Arsenal since he was 12 and made his first team debut last December against Sunderland in the League Cup, scoring a goal.

He later played in the FA Cup, too, but never made his Premier League debut for Arsenal due to an injury that followed.

This season, he is on loan at Blackpool, where he has so far made 15 appearances, scoring two goals and setting up two more.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is following his progress closely and hopes to convince him to renew his contract, which was signed in October 2020, but he knows other clubs are interested, among them Barça.

Spain or England

Patino, who for now plays for England U20s but has been sounded out by the Spanish Federation, is a midfielder with good vision, a great left foot and an ability to break the lines. His idols are Andres Iniesta and Santi Cazorla.