Pablo Mari: Arsenal defender joins Italian side Udinese on loan

Arsenal defender Pablo Mari has joined Italian side Udinese on loan for the rest of the season.

The 28-year-old Spaniard has made just three appearances for the Gunners this season.

Mari joined Arsenal on loan from Brazilian side Flamengo in January 2020 before making a permanent move to the club that summer.

He was a Manchester City player from 2016-19, but never made a first-team appearance for the club.

The centre-half was sent out on season-long loans at Girona, NAC Breda and Deportivo La Coruna, before joining Flamengo on a permanent deal in the summer of 2019.

Mari is the third player to leave Arsenal on loan this month, after Ainsley Maitland-Niles joined Roma and Folarin Balogun moved to Middlesbrough. The Gunners also cancelled the remaining six months of Sead Kolasinac's contract so he could join French side Marseille on a free transfer.

Arsenal successfully requested last weekend's north London derby against Tottenham be postponed because they did not have enough available players.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has since defended that decision, insisting the club were unable to field a side and had followed all the rules.

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