Arsenal landed Pablo Mari on a permanent basis over the summer, having taken him on loan from Flamengo back in January.
The Gunners were seeking a left-footed centre back, and Mikel Arteta decided to bring Mari back to the Premier League after a prior spell at Manchester City.
The 27-year-old managed just three Premier League appearances as the global pandemic and an injury struck Mari before he could really make an impression.
Arsenal still decided to sign Mari full-time, with the Daily Mail reporting that the fee involved was £14million – and he continues to rehabilitate from his June injury.
Gabriel Magalhaes has since arrived and could fill the left-footed centre back role moving forward, meaning Mari may only be cover, and new reports in Brazil suggest the fee involved is much more palatable.
Hashtag Rubro Negro report that Flamengo’s balance sheet shows the deal was actually only worth €4million (£3.6million), around £10million cheaper than reported.
If that is true – and given the figures from Flamengo’s official books, it appears to be – then Arsenal may have landed a real bargain.
The Daily Cannon add quotes from Flamengo’s vice-president of finance Rodrigo Tostes, in which he claims that the £3.6million was the total value of the sale rather than an instalment or loan fee.
It still seems very cheap, so further reports may emerge to add some more depth to this story, but Arsenal fans will be pretty pleased right now.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
