Mikel Arteta says there’s always a pathway for players like Charlie Patino, following the midfielder’s recent comments about making it at Arsenal.

Charlie Patino recently admitted he’s still hoping to make it as an Arsenal player, and his form in the early stages of his loan to Swansea City is certainly encouraging on that front.

Speaking to the media, Mikel Arteta suggested the door isn’t closed to players like Patino in his long-term plan.

“There is always a pathway to get back,” Arteta said when asked about Patino.

“When we make decisions on those players it is always to keep an eye on them and see if we can evolve the squad in a way, and the first thing that we do is look internally.”

Patino is currently on loan with Swansea in the Championship, but throughout the summer transfer window, it looked like he might end up leaving permanently.

Reports suggested Patino wasn’t keen on another loan, and he was hoping for a permanent exit – with Arsenal looking to include a buy-back clause in any potential deal.

But the situation changed, and the midfielder joined Swansea for the season instead.

Speaking to the media last month, Patino suggested his mind is now set on following in the footsteps of the likes of William Saliba and returning to make it at Arsenal.

“Saliba is a different player to me,” Patino began by admitting. “He’s a centre back, big, powerful, so for me, it’s inspiring to see someone from Arsenal being able to go on loan, make a name for himself and come back and show his qualities at Arsenal because it is a massive club.

“Everyone’s journey is different. Bukayo went straight from academy to first team, Eddie went on a few loans, Emile went on a few loans, so everyone’s journey is different.

“But ultimately, it’s about getting to where you want to get to, and that’s the same for me. I want to play in the first team at Arsenal and being here (at Swansea) is a massive pathway to help me do that.”

Patino has one goal and four assists in 12 appearances for Swansea so far this season.