Report: Pablo Mari to Arsenal deal is off

After looking certain last week, Arsenal’s deal for Flamengo defender Pablo Mari has “collapsed,” according to ESPN FC.

The Spanish defender was Mikel Arteta’s pick to help reinforce the Gunners’ back line. After playing under Pep Guardiola and Arteta at Manchester City, Mari bounced around to a few places in Spain before solidifying himself in a white-hot Flamengo side. You can read more about him in our article from last week.

Per ESPN FC, it seems that arguments over the terms led to a rejection from Flamengo’s executives. There is speculation that the deal broke down over an option versus an obligation to buy at the end of the loan. The defender is already on his way back to Brazil after arriving in London for a medical.

This one surely hurts for Arsenal fans, who know that the defense needs attention. Now that the Pablo Mari and Layvin Kurzawa deals have fallen through, Arsenal’s front office will be under pressure to get a deal done with another team.

Le sigh.