Friday, April 26, 2024

Opinion: Nine Arsenal first-team players expected to depart this summer

5 – Pablo Mari

Having joined the club permanently in June 2020 for just £4.5m, this is hardly a transfer that Arsenal will be losing out on in the long-run.

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Despite standing in as a reliable backup central defender, it seems that’s all Mari will ever be destined to feature as in an Arsenal side that is brimming with defensive quality.

Rob Holding is expected to take the fourth choice spot at centre back this upcoming season as the likes of Gabriel and Ben White try to see off competition from new boy, William Saliba.

This is one where all parties would appreciate a permanent transfer with Fenerbache and Udinese sniffing around the potential to get a cut-price deal done.

The latter club are interested in bringing the 28-year-old back to the club where he made 15 appearances in Serie A becoming an integral part of their defence.

But having been used just twice in the Premier League during 2021/22, Arteta has all but confirmed that Mari is not needed and will now look to demand a respectable fee for someone who still has two years on his contract.

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