Udinese have completed the signing of defender Pablo Marí on loan from Arsenal. The 28-year-old will join the Serie A side until June.
Pablo Marí Joins Udinese on Loan
Bienvenido Pablo Marí 🙌 🇪🇸
⚪️⚫️ #ForzaUdinese #AlèUdin #WelcomeMarí #PabloMarí pic.twitter.com/sqARElCJuL
— Udinese Calcio (@Udinese_1896) January 20, 2022
Fit For Italian Club
Although Udinese don’t have an option to buy on the short-term loan deal, the 28-year-old will be hopeful of playing regular football and helping the club avoid relegation from the top tier.
The club find themselves just four points clear of the drop and shipping goals has been a cause for concern for the Bianconeri. The arrival of Marí should sure up the backline in the coming months.
The defender had attracted interest from elsewhere, most notably several South American teams including Flamengo (where he previously spent time) but Marí wanted to remain in Europe.
Move Suits Arsenal and Pablo Marí
Pablo Marí has fallen out of favour at parent club Arsenal so a move to Serie A is based around regular game time.
The defender started in the Gunners’ opening two Premier League games, which both ended in 2-0 defeats, before being benched for the following three fixtures. Since then, he has been named on the bench once but has sat the remaining 15 league fixtures out, while making just one appearance in the second round of the Carabao Cup.
Clearly, he is no longer needed by Mikel Arteta so the move works out well for both the player and the club. The move could also provide Marí with a platform to showcase his capabilities and potentially lead to a summer move away from the Emirates Stadium.
Gunners Will Face Backlash With Another Departure
After Arsenal saw their request for a postponement of the match against Tottenham Hotspur accepted due to a lack of players, the club will need to prepare for a backlash after allowing another player to depart.
Arteta is without several first-team players through injury although only Martin Ødegaard had tested positive for Covid-19 prior to the North London derby.
The Gunners are due to face Liverpool on Thursday in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final but that fixture also remains in doubt.
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