Patino, a promising talent from the Gunners academy, made a strong impression with a goal on his senior debut in December 2021. His Spanish passport makes him an attractive prospect for clubs in Spain, allowing him to circumvent certain post-Brexit obstacles in transferring young players. This has led to close monitoring from Spanish clubs. Despite Arteta’s initial intention of nurturing Patino’s development after his debut goal, the situation seems to have shifted.

Arteta had expressed the sentiment of “cooking him slowly” to allow Patino to progress gradually within the team. However, more recently, Arteta indicated that Patino would have an opportunity to compete for a spot in the first-team at the Emirates, highlighting his continued interest in the young midfielder’s progress at Swansea. Arteta emphasized the existence of a pathway for players like Patino and noted the need to keep an eye on them in order to evolve the squad. This further complicates Patino’s prospects at the Emirates and suggests competition for his place in the team.