Arsenal are reportedly set to land their first January signing with defender Pablo Mari expected to join them on an initial loan deal from Flamengo.
The Spaniard spent three years at Manchester City where he was limited to loan deals away from the club and he eventually made the permanent move to Flamengo last summer.
The 26-year-old played a key part in the club’s Serie A and Copa Libertadores title success in the backend of the campaign and that has certainly caught the eye of the talent-spotters at Arsenal.
According to Goal.com, the centre-back has already arrived in the English capital ahead of the transfer, which should be completed by the end of Sunday, provided he undergoes a successful medical.
The deal is only expected to be on a temporary basis for the campaign but the Gunners would retain the option to buy him for around 7 million pounds, should his short-term stint prove a success.
Mari has not played a single minute of Premier League football from his time at Manchester City but Arteta should have some knowledge on the player from the loan stints away from the Cityzens.
The Spaniard is known for his aerial presence and strong ball-blocking capabilities but the tackling part of his game remains questionable, as per the weakness revealed by whoscored.
Still, he should prove a quality purchase in the injury presence of Calum Chambers and most of the Arsenal fans can take positives from his Club World Cup final display against Liverpool, where he made three tackles, seven clearances and won four aerial duels, as per whoscored.
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