Arsenal transfer news: Academy star seals £1m exit as statement released

The 20-year-old was long considered one of the finest talents to emerge from the Arsenal youth academy, whom he joined at the age of 11 in 2015 after stints with St Albans City and Luton Town.

Patino was labelled "the best" player to ever join the Arsenal academy by former head of scouting Sean O'Connor, and he sent tongues wagging with his skilful displays at Under-18 and Under-21 level.

It did not take long for Patino to catch the eye of Mikel Arteta, who handed him his first-team debut in an EFL Cup clash against Sunderland in 2021, a game that the midfielder scored in.

The 20-year-old subsequently made his first start for the Gunners in an FA Cup loss to Nottingham Forest the following month, but he did not make another senior appearance for the club in competitive action.

Patino: 'It was my dream to play for Arsenal'

Patino featured regularly during productive loan spells with Swansea City and Blackpool, and he was expected to eventually be integrated into Arteta's ranks in North London after his successful Championship spells.

However, reports earlier this year claimed that the England Under-21 international was set to leave the Gunners, who have now confirmed his switch to Deportivo, the team his dad supports.

Arsenal have apparently received just £1m through Patino's exit, but the North London giants have also retained a significant sell-on clause, and the midfielder has signed a four-year deal at Deportivo until 2028.

"Dear Arsenal fans. Firstly, I just want to say thank you for all the amazing memories that I have had at this historic club. It has been an honour to represent Arsenal on and off the pitch," Patino wrote on X.

"I joined the club when I was 11 years old with a dream of one day making my debut for Arsenal. I was fortunate enough to make my dream a reality and for this I will always be grateful. Thank you to the fans, team mates, coaches and everyone associated to the club. Best of luck!"

Why did it not work out for Patino at Arsenal?

While Patino could hardly have dreamt of a more memorable debut for Arsenal, it quickly became clear that he would need to seriously bulk up if he was to adjust to the demands of Premier League football.

The 20-year-old succeeded in that regard, but as he started to make an impression among senior players, Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka were untouchable in midfield, while Mohamed Elneny was also showing flashes of his best form.

Simply put, there was no room for Patino in the senior ranks at a time where regular game time could not have been more important to him, and Declan Rice's arrival only pushed him further down the pecking order.

Furthermore, Arteta has often been questioned for his lack of faith in academy products - barring Ethan Nwaneri and to a degree Myles Lewis-Skelly - but Patino just did not take the Gunners by storm in the manner he teased at youth level.

With Mikel Merino also on the brink of joining from Real Sociedad, a permanent exit makes the most sense for both parties, as Patino dons the colours of the team his father has followed throughout his life.