Charlie Patino has sent a heartfelt message to Arsenal after completing his move to Deportivo La Coruña this week.
The midfielder was once considered one of the brightest talents to come out of Arsenal’s Hale End academy, and the Gunners had high hopes he would become a first-team regular.
Mikel Arteta sanctioned several loan moves to aid his development, but the midfielder didn’t progress as expected.
As a result, the club lost interest in offering him a new deal, leading to his permanent transfer to Deportivo.
Patino will be eager to showcase his talent at the Spanish club, where the promise of more consistent game time was a key factor in his decision to leave Arsenal and English football.
After completing the transfer, he penned an open letter to the Gunners on his Instagram page, which reads:
“Firstly, I just want to say thank you for all the amazing memories that I have had at this historic club.
“It has been an honour to represent Arsenal on and off the pitch.
“I joined the club when I was 11 years old with a dream of one day making my debut for Arsenal. I was fortunate enough to make my dream a reality and for this I will always be grateful.
“Thank you to the fans, team mates, coaches and everyone associated to the club.
“Best of luck for the future!!”
Just Arsenal Opinion
Patino is one of the players we expected a lot from, but his story shows how delicate a footballer’s life is and how tough it is to graduate from youth team to senior football.
