Real Madrid have been left disappointed after Arsenal decided to take up their two-year option on youngster Charlie Patino, according to reports.
The Gunners prospect is currently on loan at Championship side Blackpool and has impressed for the Seasiders despite their lowly 22nd position in the table.
Patino has started 18 of his 21 appearances in all competitions for Blackpool with the 19-year-old contributing two goals and two assists in those fixtures.
The Arsenal youngster has played throughout the England age groups from under-15s all the way up to under-20s, where he has three caps and a goal this year.
Patino has been talked up by those at the club’s Hale End academy and made a goalscoring debut for Arsenal last season as the Gunners beat Sunderland 5-1 to qualify for the Carabao Cup semi-finals.
After the match in December 2021, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta claimed that Patino was “ready” for more senior football, he said: “Charlie is with us more and more in training sessions. Tuesday was his first competitive match, which was a beautiful day for him and everybody involved in the club.
“We’ll go slowly from there. If we need him, we will use him if the numbers are quiet but we have to throw him in there when we believe he’s ready.
“He’s making the right steps and we’re really happy with where we are.”
And after continuing to progress, Spanish publication Nacional claim that Patino was one of the ‘names on the agenda’ for Real Madrid in their ‘search for new talent’ this summer.
Patino is out of contract at the end of June and had ‘aroused the interest’ of Real Madrid president Florentino Perez after the scouts at the La Liga giants ‘recommended him’ to be ‘closely followed’.
But in a blow to Real Madrid, Arteta has chosen to ‘execute’ their option to renew his contract for a further two years with Barcelona, Liverpool, Manchester City and RB Leipzig all linked.
Arsenal boss Arteta is on the lookout to strengthen his own youth with Brazilian journalist Kaliel Machado Dorneles (via Caught Offside) claiming that the Gunners want to sign Gremio defender Lucas Kawan.
Arteta could do with more options on the right side of defence despite Ben White doing a great job as a makeshift right-back this season but the report adds that Arsenal could face competition from Manchester City for Kawan.
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