Monza are set to sign Pablo Mari on a permanent basis after securing their Serie A status.
Arsenal agreed to an obligation-to-buy clause in the Spaniard’s loan agreement last summer which has been triggered now that the Biancorossi have avoided relegation.
It’s believed the Gunners will recoup €7 million from the Silvio Berlusconi-owned side; a tidy sum considering it covers the majority of the fee we paid to Brazilian side Flamengo in July 2020.
According to Calcio e Finanza, Mari is one of five players that Monza will have to buy outright this summer at a cost approaching €46 million.
Mari, 29, has been a mainstay in the Monza starting lineup this season making 25 appearances in the league. His form has been all the more impressive considering he was the victim of an unprovoked attack in October that saw him require surgery on a stab wound in his back.
Since his return to action in January, Monza, playing their first-ever campaign in Italy’s top flight, have lost only three of their last 17 matches.
Arsenal’s coffers will also be boosted by a windfall from Fulham.
The Cottagers paid £3m up front for goalkeeper Bernd Leno last summer and now owe us another £2 million after avoiding relegation. Depending on appearances and Fulham’s form next season, they may have to pay a further £3 million.
A sell-on clause in Matteo Guendouzi’s Marseille contract could also pay dividends. The Stade Velodrome outfit are keen to part ways with the midfielder amid interest from several Premier League clubs including Aston Villa, Newcastle and West Ham United. It’s thought the Gunners have a 15% stake in any fee agreed by the French club.
Fair play to him. To come back from something like that and to help keep up a side that, at the start of the season, would have been a dead cert for relegation is a mean feat.
Crazy fee for Leno, been in good form for Fulham .
Said it at the time, Leno fee was absurd.
So was the Martinez deal but people were talking about it being good business…
Selling players is the one thing we really need to improve on.
The Leno fee is very poor but 20 million for Martinez is decent enough. He’d played 10 games in 10 years when we sold him, and considering what a massive scrotum he’s turned out to be we got on before he was famous and now people associate his ballbag-nessity with Villa instead of us.
Unfortunately the fee reflects the gap vs salary and Leno was a backup GK on starting wages.
Chelsea are going to have a ‘mare trying to thin their squad.
It’s all maths.
Add 5 million from the sell of Rob Holding.
Nothing personal Rob if you happen to read this.
10 million with English Premium
Does it just make people feel better to load all our recent troubles on Holding’s shoulders and ignore all the other poor performances by over the past 4 games?
Sentiments aside, we should get an upgrade on Rob Holding. Our current blip can’t be on him alone, but the downgrade between Saliba and him is the widest between a first team player and a backup in Arsenal at the moment. Nketiah, for example, acquitted himself better in Jesus’ absence. We are going after the EPL next season, and aiming to reach the upper knock out stages of the CL. That level of football will need a much better backup to Saliba – if not one to give him a run for his money.
Upgrades at any position are welcome but remember that Holding was never supposed to be Saliba’s first choice back-up. The injury to Tomi and Saliba necessitated Holding’s step up to starter. Otherwise Tomi and White would be starting at RB/RCB following Saliba’s injury.
we’re discussing sales, on top of Mari, Leno and sell on for Guendouzi. Rob is a good enough player for Premier League, it’s not unreasonable to expect a £5m sale to put towards an upgrade to Saliba,
£7m + £3m, why that covers about 8% of what Rice will cost us, yay!
In all seriousness Wenger would’ve considered that a fortune… which it kind of is. Funny (and sad) how the insanity of the market has come to make it seem like insignificant pocket change.
A certain Dutch god cost us a massive 7 million in the 90s
All the VERY best, Pablo🎊. If not for this article, I wouldn’t have recognized him had I seen this photo without a write-up. Lol😊. Here’s hoping that Matteo G’s move goes through so that we could have some funds remitted to us!
I wonder if Pablo Mari would start for a mid-table team in the Prem? I liked everything about him when he was at Arsenal, except that he wasn’t a good enough player–I know that sounds snarky, but I mean it literally. One thing I remember is how when he wasn’t playing, he still was getting instruction from Arteta about tactics and positioning. He has made a career. Good for him.
I have a soft spot for loads of ‘journeyman’ players who pass through our club without garnering much attention, decent players just not quite good enough. They seem somehow more ‘human’ and flawed when compared to the ‘superhuman’ players like Saka who really do seem out of this world. With less talent they really had to work their balls off to make it. Good luck to Mari and the rest. Some of my favourite ‘journeyman’ Arsenal players: Luzhny, Grimandi, Garde, Eboue, Boa Morte (for the name if nothing else!), Manninger, Vivas, Cygan, Lansbury, and so many more. They also have… Read more »
Don’t forget Kim Kallstrom, a lovely bloke and a legend in his own right.
Well, good for Pablo; hope he’s happy there. But I wouldn’t count the money from his permanent move just yet. Signed contracts with Serie A teams are sometimes not much more than “an understanding.”
I’m happy for him, he is by all accounts a lovely person, and I’m glad he’s found a place where he can settle and be appreciated.
Good move for Pablo.
Win win situation
Nothing but love