Arteta still keen on Mari despite injury
ARSENAL fear Pablo Mari will miss the remainder of the season with a “significant” ankle injury – but head coach Mikel Arteta insists the decision on whether to sign the defender on a permanent deal will not be affected by the setback.
The 26-year-old became the first Spaniard to win the Copa Libertadores in November with Flamengo and moved to the Emirates Stadium on loan two months later.
Mari may now have played his final game for the Gunners after limping off in the first half of Wednesday’s 3-0 Premier League defeat at Manchester City.
It is understood Arsenal paid a loan fee in the region of £4million to bring the defender in for the remainder of the 2019/20 season – but he has only featured three times.
A further £8m would need to be laid out to make Mari’s move from South America permanent but, despite an uncertain financial future for Arsenal, Arteta refused to rule out such a deal.
Asked if he wanted to sign
Mari permanently, Arteta replied: “Yes. This cannot be affected just because a player gets injured doing his job and defending our club.”
Speaking of Mari’s injury, Arteta added: “It is not looking good with Pablo, it looks like a really nasty injury.”
While Mari will definitely not feature in today’s game at Brighton, it remains to be seen if either club-record signing Nicolas Pepe or highest-earner Mesut Ozil return to the fold.
Ozil was left out of the 20man squad at City, with Pepe an unused substitute.