With the fee unlikely to drop much in the summer, lest Luiz kicks up an almighty fuss, it might be wiser for Arsenal to finally drop their interest and instead turn to a Hale End graduate who is currently tearing it up in the Championship.
Charlie Patino's career so far
Charlie Patino has been playing senior football for two seasons now, but he first made a name for himself with the Arsenal and England junior sides.
The midfield "maestro", as talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed him at the time, made 25 appearances for the Gunners U18 side, in which he scored one goal and provided four assists, before going on to make 22 appearances for the U21 side, scoring two goals and providing one assist.
Charlie-Patino-Arsenal-Premier-League
At the same time, he was rapidly progressing through the England ranks, making his debut for the U15 side in February 2018 and reaching the U21 squad just five years later.
He has won 22 junior caps and represented every age group from the U15s to the U21s, scoring three goals in the process.
With how well he was performing at the youth level, it was only a matter of time until he made his senior debut for the Gunners, and when it did come in December 2021, he made sure to leave an impression, scoring his first senior goal for the club within minutes of his entrance.
His first start would come just a month later in the FA Cup, and while the result - a loss against Nottingham Forest - was far from ideal, his talent was evident to see.
With youth football firmly behind him, he spent a fruitful albeit doomed campaign on loan with Blackpool last year before heading to Swansea City this season, where he has been fantastic.
Charlie Patino's Blackpool Stats
Appearances
37
Goals
3
Assists
4
Goal Involvements per game
0.189
Stats via Transfermarkt
How Charlie Patino compares to Douglas Luiz this season
Now, if your initial thought is that Luiz, one of the key players for a top-four chasing team in the Premier League, must be leaps and bounds ahead of a 20-year-old who has but one full season of senior football behind him, you'd probably be right - most of the time anyway.
However, Patino is, in the words of journalist Phil Smith, a "special talent", and with how well he is performing for the Swans in the Championship this season, there is a chance that he could make the step up to top-flight football next season and cement himself in the midfield of a title-chasing Arsenal side.
The Watford-born gem has made 24 appearances for the Welsh side so far, scored four goals, and provided four assists, giving him a goal involvement every three games on average, which is pretty remarkable for a youngster who primarily plays in central midfield.
In contrast, Villa's midfield monster has made 32 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring seven goals and providing six assists, giving him a goal involvement every 2.46 games.
While that is slightly more impressive on the surface, four of his goals have been penalties, making a £100m investment a little harder to justify on that front.
Finally, how
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