Arsenal: Pablo Mari not the necessary long-term solution

Arsenal are reportedly set to sign centre-back Pablo Mari on a loan deal with an option to buy. While the Spanish defender is a neat quick-fix, he is not the long-term solution to the Gunners’ centre-half problems.

Centre-back is a major problem position for Arsenal. It has been for many years. In fact, not since the days of Sol Campbell and Kolo Toure have they had a formidable pair, perhaps bar one or two years of Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny.

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And this year, perhaps more than most, they are extremely weak at the centre-back position, which is a quite remarkable thing to consider given how detrimental the heart of the defence has been for so many years.

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After Koscielny’s shock departure in the summer, the Gunners signed David Luiz as a stop-gap. He joins Sokratis as the incumbent starting pair, with Rob Holding, Calum Chambers and Shkodran Mustafi available as depth. Of those three, only Mustafi has been fit throughout the year. Holding entered the season rehabilitating from an ACL tear before Chambers suffered the same injury at the turn of the calendar year. It is a major issue.

This January, there was the hope that Arsenal would address centre-back, but after extensive spending in the summer that included a £25 million William Saliba who will not arrive at the club for another year, it was always going to be limited. There is not much money available to spend, and there are even fewer players available to buy given teams’ propensity to keep their stars midway through the season.

Nevertheless, it seems as though Edu, Raul Sanllehi and the powers that be in north London have managed to find a defender who can help fill a gap. Flamengo centre-back Pablo Mari arrived at London Colney this weekend to conduct a medical ahead of a six-month loan acquisition with an option to buy.

It is an astute addition for a team in desperate need of any centre-back they can find. But to think that Mari will be the long-term solution at the position would be naive, to say the least. This is a 26-year-old who is playing in Brazilian football, has largely plied his trade in the Spanish second tier, and never played a game for Manchester City despite spending three years at the club.

This is not to say that he will be an underwhelming signing. As a quick-fix, stop-gap-type addition, this is a smart and necessary move. And it could lead Arsenal to a successful end to the year in both the Premier League and Europa League. But Mari is not the elite defender that is needed. Such are the problems at the position, the Gunners need world-class talent. Mari is not that.

And this is where Arsenal must be careful. They cannot let their own loyalties and belief in their players cloud their judgement. They need at least one elite defender this summer. Signing Mari does not change that.