Report: Arsenal make breakthrough for ‘superb’ 26-year-old

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Mikel Arteta is reportedly close to making his first Arsenal signing with the ‘superb’ defender said to be on his way to the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal are reportedly closing in on a deal for Flamengo defender Pablo Mari, according to Brazilian outlet Globo.

The Gunners’ defence has come under major scrutiny this season, particularly at centre-back.

David Luiz, Sokratis, Rob Holding, Calum Chambers and Shkodran Mustafi have all played in the role this term, to varying degrees of success, while the latter is due to have a scan for an injury suffered in Monday’s FA Cup win over Bournemouth.

Spanish centre-back Mari has been heavily linked with Arsenal, but the deal appeared to be on the rocks earlier this week.

As reported in The Mirror, a £7.5million deal for Mari was seemingly agreed between Arsenal and Flamengo earlier this month.

However, as the 26-year-old arrived in London for a medical over the weekend, the Gunners reportedly complained that they couldn’t afford the fee and said they wanted a loan deal instead.

An agreement has now been reached and Arsenal will pay a loan fee of £4.2million, with the deal including an option to sign the defender permanently in the summer, according to Globo.

The Brazilian outlet has also reported that Mari will return to London on Wednesday to finalise the transfer, which would make him Mikel Arteta’s first Arsenal signing.

South American football expert Tim Vickery has spoken very highly about Mari, in conversation with talkSPORT earlier this week.

He said: “I think he was the most important player (in the dominant Flamengo side of 2019). He’s by no way the most glamorous, but that front four with all the goals being scored by Gabriel Barbosa and Bruno Henrique, it wouldn’t have worked had the team not been able to defend with a high line – and Mari was the man behind all of that, he was superb.

“Now, this is the chance of a lifetime for him at Arsenal. He won’t have the same advantage that he had in Brazil where he was the only centre-back who knew how to play a high line and he organised that and passed out of defence very well. He hasn’t got express pace, but his positioning is good enough to get him out of jail.”