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Udinese director Pierpaolo Marino admits "it will be difficult" to sign Arsenal defender Pablo Mari on a permanent deal.
The 28-year-old has impressed at the Serie A club since leaving the Emirates on loan in January after making just two Premier League appearances in the first half of the season.
Arsenal will not be willing to let the former Manchester City youngster leave cheaply, having only signed the Spaniard from Flamengo in 2020. Mari still has two years left on his current contract.
Speaking to DAZN, translated by Tuttormercatoweb, Marino confessed that Udinese would be interested in signing the centre-back once his loan spell ends in the summer. He said:
“Mari is an Arsenal player.
"It is already uncommon for such a player to come to Udinese. Not because we don’t deserve it but because, in general, the path (players like Mari take) is the opposite.
“It will be difficult to keep him but we will try.”
Mari has made 11 appearances for Udinese since his arrival in Italy, and has started all but one of their games. The club currently find themselves 12th in Serie A.
Has Mari played his final game for Arsenal?
Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, Mari admitted he was enjoying life in the Italian top-flight, claiming he has goals to improve Udinese's standing and make them a more competitive team.
When asked his opinion on Serie A, Mari said:
"It's the right championship for me. Very tactical. I try to bring the attacker towards me."
He added:
"And here it can be done and then there is battle and I like the battle on the pitch. in Italy".
The centre-back initially signed for the Gunners on loan from Flamengo in January 2020, and impressed enough to be snapped up on a permanent basis in the summer of the same year.
Upon his signing with the north London club, Mari suffered a severe injury to his left ankle that kept him out for five months. Fellow left-footed centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes then became an automatic starter for Arteta, as Mari was left out in the cold.
Mari was asked if he would like to stay in Italy beyond the end of the current campaign, to which he replied:
"I am very well in Udine. And I would be happy to take the club even higher in the standings.
"Of course, I still have two years on my contract with Arsenal, playing continuously after the operation on my left ankle. I was out for five months."
