Arsenal have completed their first signing of the summer after they beat Chelsea in the race to sign Luton Town wonder kid Charlie Patino, according to reports in the Daily Mail.
The 11 year old has garnered plenty of interest from all over England with Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham making an approach to snap him up, but it seems the Gunners have beaten their League rivals to the wonder kid.
The Gunners will pay a compensation of £10,000 to his club Luton Town as part of the move. It seems our London rivals Chelsea actally offered double the offer than us, but the club left the decision to the young boy who opted for Arsenal which is the closet to his home in St.Albans.
Patino will join Arsenal next season and although we have never seen him play, but seeing the interest he has generated it definitely seems he is a talented lad. The Gunners have a history of bringing the best out of the young players with Wilshere, Ramsey, Chamberlain and Bellerin being the prime examples and hopefully he will follow suit.
The North London club have always had great youth teams in the past, but they have been struggling in the past few seasons, which is a serious concern for the club authorities. We have always relied on in house talent and unless they take some proper actions in this regard, the future looks bleak.
There is also an issue of the Hale End Academy which is possessing some poor facilities including poor club house, changing rooms and pitches. There is a development currently undergoing redevelopment and there is also lot investment going into the facilities. There’s still a long to way to go, but these are some encouraging signs and hopefully they will continue to do so.
What do you say Gooners?
