Arsenal needs calmness and a defender that is comfortable playing out from the back, enter Pablo Mari.
Arsenal has just completed the signing of Pablo Mari from Flamengo and the Spanish defender comes at a time when Arsenal is struggling at the back and desperately need a calming influence there.
This transfer has several critics and it seems even Arsenal has reservations about if he will adapt to the Premier League or not and that is why they have decided to go for a loan move initially.
However, I believe that he is the right fit and he can even become the model of defenders that Mikel Arteta buys henceforth.
At 6’3, Mari represents a player who can contest and win any aerial duels in the Premier League, his huge frame would also make it hard for attackers to bully him.
He is also one of the few ball-playing defenders around and Arsenal desperately needs a good one.
Since the reign of Unai Emery, Arsenal have been keen to play from the back and that has been a struggle for the current set of defenders.
Mari has been playing out from the back at Flamengo and he has shown that he is adept at that, I reckon he would bring calm to the gunner’s defence while playing from the back.
He may not have played for Manchester City or even won any trophies in Europe, his winning experience with Flamengo still makes him one of the few players in this Arsenal dressing room that has tasted title-winning success, especially on the continental stage.
I expect Mikel Arteta to demand a lot from Mari, but he should thrive.
An article from Ime