Arsenal: 3 players impacted by Ben White transfer

3. Pablo Mari

Pablo Mari may be more impacted by this than initially thought.

Working on the basis that White arrives, Arsenal will have Konstantinos Mavropanos, White, Holding, Saliba, Gabriel and Mari on the books. The former is due to be moved on, leaving five centre-backs to battle it out for two spots in a season without European football.

Given that Calum Chambers can slot into central defence, the need for what could six becomes non-existent.

While there is no indication of Mari being sold, yet, due to Saliba’s ability to play on the left side, White’s ability to play on the left side and Gabriel’s growing likelihood of being the regular starter, where the Spaniard may fit in grows less certain.

Turning out to be quite the find from the Brazilian league, Mari has established himself as a valuable member of the squad; he formed a solid partnership with Holding and added leadership qualities into the backline.

Remarkably the oldest of the group at 27 years old, looking at how the team may shape up, he may be looking at the profile of players Saliba and White are and be the one starting to worry. Brought in on a deal until 2024, while nobody knows the recruitment plan at Arsenal there could even be scope for Mari being a stop-gap addition ahead of more versatile options further down the line.