Pablo Mari eyes Arsenal stay

Arsenal signed Pablo Mari on loan from Flamengo for the second half of the season with an option to make the deal permanent if they are happy with his input. The Spaniard has stepped into the heart of their defence only twice so far, but on both occasions his performance was impeccable, and as quoted by Sky Sports, he is already planning to stay at the Emirates ‘for years to come’.

The Gunners’ defence was by far the weakest link in their chain for several years, and the situation was made slightly worse when Laurent Koscielny forced his way out last summer. The arrival of David Luiz eased the situation somewhat, but the whole team has been playing much better since Mikel Arteta came in to take the reins from the faltering Unai Emery.

Mari’s arrival has made their back line look really solid, and given what the 26-year-old has shown so far, his wish to stay at the club when the loan expires seems very realistic.