Arsenal close in on new centre-back

 

Arsenal are set to bolster their defensive ranks with the capture of Pablo Mari from Brazilian champions Flamengo, reports The Mail on Sunday. 

 

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is looking to add a new defender to the ranks this month following Calum Chambers' injury, Konstantinos Mavropanos' loan exit and David Luiz's dismissal in their 2-2 draw with Chelsea in midweek. 

 

And it's seen the north London outfit linked with a move for Mari, who made 22 league starts for the Copa Libertadores champions last season, becoming the first ever Spanish player to win the trophy in the process. 

 

Mari was part of the side that lost the Club World Cup final to Liverpool last month and he returned a WhoScored rating of 6.83 in the Brasileirao last term. 

 

The Spaniard will join the club on loan with a view to making the move permanent as reports suggest Mari has flown to England to undergo his medical this weekend. 

 

Mari, 26, joined defending Premier League champions Manchester City from Gimnastic in 2016, but never made a league appearance for the club. 

 

Rather, the centre-back spent time on loan with Girona, NAC Breda and Deportivo before leaving for Flamengo in 2019. 

 

 

Of the 106 players to contest 75+ aerial duels, Mari's aerial success rate of 69.6% was the sixth best in the Brasileirao.