Report: Arsenal keen to agree deal as Udinese hope to keep Pablo Mari

By Jordan Harris

Arsenal have received a boost ahead of the summer, with Football London reporting that Udinese are indeed keen to sign Pablo Mari permanently at the end of the season.

Mari left the Emirates on loan during the January transfer window. He had not played for Mikel Arteta’s side since the second Premier League game of the campaign.

The Spaniard has been a regular with Udinese. And he recently suggested that he would love to stay in Italy for next season as his Arsenal deal runs into its final two years.

The Gunners are likely to have few qualms about selling him. He was well down the pecking order before his loan exit. And Mikel Arteta is potentially set to welcome William Saliba back into the fold next season.

Football London reports that Udinese want to sign Mari permanently. It is not clear what sort of fee would be involved in a deal. But Arsenal would potentially also save around £7.4 million in add-ons from the deal that they agreed with Flamengo.

Arsenal letting Pablo Mari leave for Udinese clearly makes sense for all parties

Mari has been a decent performer for Arsenal at times. Mikel Arteta has previously described him as a ‘leader‘. And he would not be a bad option to have as a backup at the Emirates.

However, Arsenal have plenty of work to do this summer. And with that, they may welcome all offers that come their way for their fringe players.

So selling Mari may be one of the first pieces of business they look to finalise. It is clearly a move that all parties now want. So surely, reaching an agreement will be something of a formality.