Pablo Mari has revealed that he hopes to leave Arsenal permanently in the summer and would like to stay in Italy with Udinese.
After struggling for game time at the Emirates Stadium, the 28-year-old moved to Udinese on loan in January for the rest of the season and he has since made eight Serie A appearances.
Speaking to Gazetta dello Sport, Mari expressed his desire to stay put in Italy, stating: "[Serie A is] the right league for me. Very tactical. I try to bring the attacker towards me. I really like having the ball and here it can be done and then there is the battle and I like having a battle on the pitch.
"I would like to stay in Italy. I'm very well at Udinese and I'd be happy to take the club even higher in the standings. Of course, I still have a two-year contract with Arsenal."
Mari has also revealed that he held an honest discussion with Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta before joining Udinese, and the Spaniard has praised his compatriot for the way he dealt with his situation in North London.
"[Arteta] was a really, really, really good person in that moment. He said to me 'Everything that you need, you deserve that. You were a professional player until the end and you deserve it so everything I can help you, I'm going to do it.' I'm so glad to hear that from a coach because it was not an easy moment for me," he added.
Mari has only made 22 appearances for Arsenal across all competitions since joining from Brazilian outfit Flamengo in 2020.
Oliver Thomas
