Arsenal, last Wednesday, completed the signing of Pablo Mari from Flamengo on loan until the end of the season. Mari joined for the remainder of the campaign, for a loan fee in the region of £4 million. Arsenal have the option to make the deal a permanent one if he impresses in north London. Coming all the way from Brazil, not much is known of him by fans. With this in mind, Daily Trust has now highlighted 12 main things that will give you an understanding of who Mari is.
- Pablo Marí Villar, born 31 August 1993, is a Spanish professional footballer.
2. He plays as a central defender.
3. Born in Almussafes, Ribera Baixa, Valencian Community, Marí was a product of RCD Mallorca’s youth system.
4. He made his debut as a senior with the reserves at the age of just 17, going on to spend several seasons in the third division.
5. Marí made his first appearance with the first team on 7 December 2011, playing 30 minutes in a 2–2 draw against Granada CF after coming off the bench for fellow youth graduate Pedro Bigas. 6. On 15 August 2016, Marí was transferred to Premier League side Manchester City. A day later, he was loaned to Girona FC in a season-long deal
7. In the following two campaigns, still owned by City, Marí played with NAC Breda (Dutch Eredivisie, where he was team captain)[11][12] and Deportivo de La Coruña (Spanish second tier).
8. On 11 July 2019, Marí signed with Clube de Regatas do Flamengo on a contact through 2022, for an approximate fee of €1.3 million.
9. He became the third Spanish player for the Brazilian club, after goalkeeper Talladas in the late 30s and forward José Ufarte in the 60s.
10. He made his debut as a starter on 28 July in a Série A match against Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas at the Maracanã Stadium and quickly established himself in the first team.
11. Marí scored his first goal for Mengão on 25 August 2019, with a volley inside the box in a 3–0 away victory over Ceará Sporting Club.
12. In November, he became the first Spaniard to win the Copa Libertadores, the major South American club competition.
(Text, courtesy of Daily Trust)