Arsenal started the season excellently with eight wins from nine Premier League fixtures which see the Gunners sit at the top of the table. A major reason why Mikel Arteta’s side are leading the Premier League is due to the crucial presence of Granit Xhaka in the middle of the park.
The Swiss international’s impressive performances this season will also do Arsenal a major favour in the upcoming transfer window. The Gunners were criticised for not signing a midfielder before the end of the deadline in the summer market, but Xhaka’s emergence means that Arsenal can save money in January.
The midfielder has recently turned 30 years old, which means that the Gunners will need to have a successor in place for the future. And this season has proved that they already have that in Charlie Patino, but Edu must first exercise a key clause in his contract.
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Patino's contract is set to expire in 2023, and according to the Athletic's David Ornstein, the Gunners have an option to extend his current deal by two years but are yet to open talks. The midfielder's options for different clubs and countries are increased because he has a Spanish passport.
Instead of Edu splashing the cash in the January transfer window to potentially find a backup for Xhaka, the Gunners chief has the chance to be patient and wait for Patino to gain the necessary experience ahead of next season.
The 18-year-old showed the huge amount of quality he is equipped with during his senior debut against Sunderland last season after capping off an impressive substitute cameo with his first senior goal.
This led to Mikel Arteta singing the praises for the youngster, saying: "He's [Patino] a player that has a lot of personality. I'm delighted for him because he's a kid that we like so much. To have his debut and score like that is something special."
Now on loan at Blackpool for the rest of the season, the promising youngster is gaining valuable experience and getting used to the physicality of first-team football, which will prove crucial when returning to the Gunners ahead of next season.
And the youngster has gotten off to a bright start with the Seasiders, which was epitomised by his first goal against Millwall last month. If the youngster follows in this trajectory, then it proves why Arteta was right not to splash the cash for Tielemans, who would have cost £30million.
But, to prevent any club from sniffing around Patino's contract situation, then Edu must exercise the two-year extension that is reportedly an option in his current deal.
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