Arsenal have reaped huge benefits from their prestigious academy, with Bukayo Saka the shining light within their first team.
The Hale End graduate boasts 13 goals and 11 assists within Mikel Arteta's title-chasing outfit, and at just 21 years old, the future remains blindingly bright with him in the side.
However, the Emirates was rocked earlier this week when The Athletic's David Ornstein broke news regarding one such graduate who was not willing to bide his time any longer. Charlie Patino, clearly envisioning no future where he breaks into the Gunners' first team, has plans to leave this summer.
As the starring midfield prodigy from their youth setups, this will understandably hurt, especially given the impressive loan spell that the 19-year-old had been enjoying with Blackpool
However, as aforementioned, the club will remain committed to their methods that have produced such a steady stream of first-team stars. In fact, there are numerous players yet to even emerge from the youth setups who could just as easily take the wantaway star's place.
One such option is Mauro Bandeira, who can ease the blow tenfold by showcasing his talents to Jack Wilshere and those above him.
Who is Mauro Bandeira?
As a defensive midfielder with a desperation to play on the front foot, instantly the Portuguese youngster draws comparisons with his departing former teammate as someone more than willing to comply with Arteta's philosophy.
The 19-year-old gem has starred this season for the U21s in the engine room, combining combative displays with a classy demeanour on the ball. This has allowed him to score three times and assist once in 20 Premier League 2 matches.
His performances this season in the Football League Trophy have allowed a greater picture to be painted of the teenage sensation too, as he has recorded 1.3 tackles despite only averaging 53 minutes per game, via Sofascore.
As one of Wilshere's shining lights, with the hope that he can one day star as he did in the first team, the former Gunners maestro would have been pleased to see journalist Layth Yousif brand him "lively" after one display last summer.
Given that Patino had maintained a 6.83 rating in the Championship, scoring twice and assisting four more, it will not be easy to live up to the levels he has set.
But if anyone has the raw technical quality to do so, Bandeira is surely high on that list.
Years of starring for the youth levels of the club he joined aged 13 have been building towards an opportunity like this, where he can now announce himself as the true future of Arsenal's midfield; especially since his competition has now severely weakened.
