Arsenal Rumors: Wonderkid Could Be Next Big Thing For Gunners Since Rowe, Saka

Arsenal is looking for help, and most have focused on the transfer market.

However, there is one teenager who appears to be on the cusp of making it to the first team if things go well.

The teenage sensation is Charlie Patino, someone who has drawn raves from scouts. That list includes Brian Stapleton who first caught a glimpse of the 17-year-old while he was playing for Luton–the same team that produced Jack Wilshere.

Patino has been used by Mikel Arteta in the Gunners' training sessions over the summer, and it appears that he has a good chance of breaking into the roster.

Aside from that, a video of the teenager in action with Arsenal’s Under-23 has gone viral, further adding more excitement on what the future holds for the Arsenal academy graduate.

“Of all the years I've been scouting, he's the best kid I've ever seen,” Stapleton said to Goal last month. “I got a tip-off about Charlie from a guy, so I went over there and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. He was 11 and I think he was playing in the Under-13s, and I was like ‘wow.’”

It was Shaun O’Connor, the same guy who discovered Jack Wilshire, who tipped Stapleton about Patino.

While he acknowledges that the teenaged midfielder has a lot of promise, he still needs to improve on some parts of his game.

“Shaun O'Connor discovered Jack Wilshere and he said to me that Charlie is the best player who has ever walked through the doors at Hale End. The kid has got so much potential, but he's not there yet,” Stapleton said.

It would be best to note that the talent of Patino goes beyond the Emirates Stadium. Chelsea and Tottenham had already shown interest in the teen when he was only 11 years old in 2015.

A possible reason behind the progress of Patino is the way he approaches games. This was explained by his parents, Julio and Katy, who were interviewed in 2015.

“Charlie doesn't watch the Spanish football, he analyses it,” the father said. “His mind is ticking away, watching the player movements and asking why they made certain decisions. He is very intelligent. He would say his favorite team is Barcelona and he has definitely been influenced as a player by the Spanish style of football.”

If he does make the team, Patino would be the latest player to emerge from the Arsenal academy. Others before him include Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka.