Reports today say that Pablo Mari could be set to join Fenerbahce on loan for the upcoming season.
The Spanish centre-half was deemed surplus to requirements last season, spending the second half of the campaign in Serie A with Udinese, and he has been one of the names most heavily linked with a move away this summer.
The 28 year old made just two Premier League appearances last season, featuring in the opening two defeats to Brentford and Chelsea. Given a torrid time by Romelu Lukaku at the Emirates, he played just once more – in a 3-0 EFL Cup win over AFC Wimbledon – before departing on loan last January.
The Turkish side are currently managed by Jorge Jesus, the former Flamengo manager who knows Mari well after his spell there.
There is talk of a €5m loan fee, which feels extremely high and quite unlikely, but as Mikel Arteta aims to trim down the squad, as a move it makes sense for all concerned.
Since his arrival from Brazil in January 2020, Mari has made just 22 appearances in all competitions.
I really hoped for an outright sale, probably to Udinese; but those Italian clubs are always broke when it comes to Arsenal players.
I hope he has more than a year left of his Arsenal contract.
It feels like Italian clubs actually just want an extra body for the season. And while it’s good to get the player in the shop window, I’m not sure any of these mid table Italian clubs really have any intention of signing our players. They just want a sticking plaster for a season.
Wouldn’t mind if it was a young player who genuinely needed minutes, but not a player we’re trying to get shot of. Like Toreira, all that happens is they come back a year later, one year less on their contract and less market value. Still I guess there’s not much else you can to when you’ve got an abundance of players up for sale with no suitors.
I remember Arteta talking about players on loan last season. He said Mari’s case was different. Although he had to le him go on loan, Mari was a significant player in his eyes.
Couldn’t be better said! It’s so irritating that we didn’t pay much for him and should be able to turn a profit…it’s a vicious cycle at the moment,we need a few big sales to change the perception..a player like Reiss Nelson or Maitland Niles after playing Europa finals would go for 20m if say Liverpool were selling…
Getting worried by the consistent loans for him and potentially others. I know it removes wages and we might get a fee but can’t help thinking it will end up another loss on our balance sheet. Hopefully a obligation to buy is inc
Without wishing to be pedantic, there isn’t a loss on the balance sheet if the player serves his contract in full. The asset value should be fully depreciated by that point.
The old concept of players bought being mostly sold is no longer a valid one. Wenger, forever one step ahead in football thinking, called it right. The future of most highly paid players, in the context of their ability/perceived value to other clubs, is running their contract down if they wish to leave.
Was thinking just that of AW’s prediction. It’s going to be a long time before most fans accept it as the new wisdom.
No offense but hardly revolutionary thinking. Players might decide to leave on frees to get huge signing on fees…wow, mind-blowing foresight
I remember how when Wenger said this, he was accused of making excuses for some or Arsenal’s transfer problems. But, as you say, it was just that he understood sooner than almost anyone else.
We’ll see exactly how that all plays out, whilst more players have run down their contracts it’s also clear they’re not all getting bumper contracts they thought they would.
It’s quite possible in the future players prefer the safety of a long term contract rather than taking a gamble.
Pogba and Dybala are two names that spring to mind.
No offense but he was never our level.
Who is gonna backing up Gabriel now?
I think Saliba can play on the left side. I’m pretty sure Tomiyasu has done it. I know Tierney does it in a three for Scotland (less fanciful with Zinchenko in the squad). For me, these alternatives and others are better than having a significant down-grade (like Pablo Mari) as a one-for-one backup. And no one (Man City almost) have a one-for-one backup who is not a major downgrade at every position. That’s an important reason that Arteta want flexibility.
Blogs I’m curious, why does €5m loan fee seem high?
Id imagine it’s because that’s how much we’d expect to get of we sold him
Based on what though?
Well, a player you have bought for 6M, been rarely used, and will not be regularly used, and is now 28, should not worth that much. I would let him permanently go for that amount.
But it’s a number, you end up shooting yourself in the foot sometimes if you set the valuation based on what you think it is sometimes. Numbers are fluid, and something is worth what someone is willing to pay, we have no idea what someone is willing to pay and sometimes you can surprise yourself for how much you get. None of us are experts, and it’s not as clear cut as saying he should be sold for x amount because another player was sold for y amount.
Because it is not known for clubs to pay that high for a loan fee for player like Mari
So who would our CB options be if he were to leave? Gabriel White Saliba Holding With KT and Tomi at a push. That seems kinda thin to me. Have said previously, but people forget that a fair few folk on this site were suggesting Mari should be starting when Gabriel had his dip in form post-covid. If he’s happy to play dead rubber European matches or cup games against (hopefully) lower opposition, I’d be keen to keep him. With Tomi’s injury record I’d rather White at RB and Saliba at CB than Cedric I think, and Holding as much… Read more »
Thought Holding was generally solid last year. One seriously crap game the exception.
Rob Holding is one of the main reasons why we were victorious in the FA Cup Finals of 2017 and 2020. Had Mustafi played, then they would both have gone to Chelsea. Yeah, he (Holding) was wound up too much for the Tottenham game – and subsequently had a stinker – but I can forgive that. Who doesn’t have a rough game once in a blue moon? It’s the well documented individuals who have stinkers every single game that we should be moving on. And if this loan deal goes through, I shall be pleased, because Mari is not a… Read more »
I think you’ll find he replaced the suspended Koscielny, not Mustafi, in 2017. Mertesacker came in for Mustafi. And if you rewatch that game, you’ll see why it was the Mertesacker Final, not the Rob Holding.
Ok, hairsplitting aside, my point is that Rob Holding came in for two FA Cup Finals which we were victorious in and wouldn’t have been had Mustafi played.
In other words, he (Holding) is nowhere near as bad as the myth that certain individuals like to keep peddling.
agree but in that one game he was solid crap,
I’m certain you could say that about every player in history.
Arteta was at fault for Holding’s stinker against Tottenham. He asked Rob to try to deal with Son too far up the pitch. That’s not Holding’s game and of course he got roasted. I think everyone reading this blog would have played much less expansively at their place, trying for a draw (or a smash and grab win), which would have been a fantastic result. Holding can sit in the box and head crosses away all day. But Mikel set us up to fail.
I somewhat agree. Holding was no match for Son, and MA should’ve known that. Way too much pace. If Saliba was in the squad at the time, it would’ve been a different story in my opinion.
Mate, we were without our first choice fullbacks, centre halves and DM.
Arteta set us up with what he had available.
He certainly didn’t set us up to fail. That is a ridiculous comment.
Fair enough, perhaps I’m misremembering. I know he did well whenever he came on late in games, but the games he started I thought I remembered some awful performances.
I guess my point is more it’d suck to have what’s shaping up to be a promising season derailed because we let someone go for pennies. I’d rather have Mari than Xhaka or Elneny that’s for sure.
It’s strange you have seem more in Mari than in Xhaka and Elneny. Even if Mari has the potential of Maldini, he has not shown a bit of it in red and white.
Those fair few folk on this site must have bumped their heads. I couldn’t believe what I was reading at the time.
Crazy!
One of the weirdest signings we’ve ever made. Was never convincing. I just hope we can get him off the books without cancelling his contract.
Does it matter that Gabriel will be our only left footed CB?
Only to Mikel.
Pablo Mari seems a really nice person and a very professional player. He’s not quite at the level for Arsenal but he didn’t cost a lot of money and there must be a decent club out there who’d take a punt on him surely? I’d like to see him settled on a permanent contract rather than another loan, it’s better for him and the club.
Yep, well said.
It’s time to move on the players who aren’t at ‘the next level.’
Goodbye Mari, we hardly knew ye