Arsenal midfielder Charlie Patino is set to join Deportivo La Coruna on a permanent deal, according to a report.
Ryan Taylor reports for the Mirror that Arsenal have agreed to sell Charlie Patino to Deportivo La Coruna, after the young midfielder entered the final year of his contract with the Gunners.
The fee is reportedly in the region of £1m, though the Gunners have also negotiated a significant sell-on clause. The move is expected to be confirmed in the next 24 hours.
Arsenal had also been willing to negotiate Patino’s exit last summer, but sufficient bids reportedly never arrived.
Deportivo La Coruna play in the Segunda Division, the Spanish second tier, and they already have one former Gunner on their books in Lucas Perez.
A photo showing Perez alongside Santi Cazorla of Real Oviedo went viral at the weekend after the two ex-Arsenal stars faced off against each other with their respective clubs.
Santi Cazorla, 39. Lucas Pérez, 35. Both played today for their boyhood clubs, Real Oviedo and Depor, in Segunda. Magic. (📸 @RealOviedo) pic.twitter.com/UenJsF4Qby
— The Spanish Football Podcast (@tsf_podcast) August 17, 2024
Fabrizio Romano confirms that Deportivo have sent a formal bid to Arsenal, though he suggests the deal isn’t sealed yet. On the positive side, he adds that Patino himself is open to the move.
Patino spent last season out on loan with Swansea City, making 35 appearances over the course of the season. He started out as a regular in the team until November, when he picked up a red card against Ipswich Town.
After that day, the midfielder never really returned to the starting lineup, with a few rare exceptions, not helped by a change in management. He’d made 11 Championship starts by November 4th, and he made just three more in the next six months.
The move to Spain will hopefully allow him to get his career back on track, as he’s probably a better fit for the football there.