Arsenal wonderkid Charlie Patino is believed to be on the radar of Barcelona currently, having impressed on his senior debut this week.
The 18 year-old came off the bench against Sunderland to make his first competitive appearance under Mikel Arteta, and capped off the outing with a neatly taken effort to complete the 5-1 rout.
His debut has been strongly mooted for some time however, with many insiders at the Emirates having praised his ability and future potential, and he didn’t disappoint when getting his chance.
It remains to be seen if he will be deemed ready for further playing time this term, with just over 10 minutes of action on Tuesday night, but he remains highly rated within the club, and will no doubt have a pathway designated for him to further involvement in the first-team.
We may well have to fend off interest in his signature from Barcelona however, with The Sun (via Sky Sports) claiming that they are tracking his progress at present.
I struggle to believe that we would have too much to be worried about at present, with the youngster seemingly happy to have made his debut this week, and with the likes of Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah and Folarin Balogun all picking up first-team minutes after earning their way up the hierarchy.
It should be clear to Patino that there is a pathway if he continues to improve, and he could well get to make his Premier League debut this term also.
Should we be worried if Barcelona come calling? Is there a better club to be at for a young hopeful looking to break into the first-team at present?
Patrick