Arsenal to sell Pablo Mari for £6m as Monza avoids Serie A relegation

Monza is set to sign Pablo Mari on a permanent deal from Arsenal. The 29-year-old joined the Italian club on loan last August and has been a regular player for them this season. Arsenal had included a compulsory purchase option in their loan agreement with Monza, which would see Mari’s move made permanent for €7 million (£6.1m) if the club avoided relegation from Serie A. Monza secured their place in the Italian top flight for next season with six fixtures remaining after their 2-0 win over Spezia on Friday, meaning that Arsenal is now in line to receive a £6m windfall ahead of the summer transfer window. Mari initially signed for Arsenal on loan from Brazilian side Flamengo in January 2020 before the deal was made permanent for €8m (£6.8m) the following summer. However, he struggled to hold down a regular starting place in Arsenal’s team under Mikel Arteta and ended up joining Udinese on loan last January before his move to Monza last summer. Meanwhile, Arteta has confirmed that William Saliba is no closer to returning for Arsenal due to a back injury.