The Spanish centre-back becomes Arsenal’s first signing since Mikel Arteta’s appointment as head coach

Arsenal have signed Flamengo defender Pablo Mari on an initial loan deal with an option to buy.

The deal for the Spaniard is worth up to £12m, with Arsenal paying a £4m loan fee upfront while having the option to make the move permanent for £8m in the summer.

The 26-year-old becomes Mikel Arteta’s first signing since taking over as Arsenal head coach in December.

“When I spoke to my agent, it was a big thing that Arsenal were interested in me,” Mari told the Arsenal website.

“This is one of the best clubs in the world, so I’m absolutely delighted to be joining. I’m really looking forward to playing in this jersey and helping my team.

• Analysis: Who is Pablo Mari?

“Right now I want to focus on the day-to-day side of things. I think we need to put the plans to one side for now because the most important thing is to take things one day at a time and focus on achieving short-term goals.

“We need to change the dynamic around the team, so the short-term objectives are the most important thing. As I’ve said, we have Mikel’s ideas, aligned with the club, and we need to perform very well to change things.”

Flamengo have thanked Mari for his contribution to their Copa Libertadores and Brazilian Serie A triumphs last season and said “the time has come to say goodbye” on social media.

Mari joined Flamengo last year from Manchester City, where he had been since 2016, after loan stints at Girona, NAC Breda and Deportivo La Coruna.

How to follow the January transfer window with Sky Sports

Sky Sports will bring you the very latest news from the January transfer market with the return of three shows.

• Find out more about Sky Sports
• Sign up for PL goal alerts

Start your day with Good Morning Transfers at 9am as our team of reporters bring you the latest news and insight. Transfer Talk then follows at midday delivering analysis of the biggest stories. Then join us at 7pm for the definitive round-up of the day’s news with The Transfer Show.

Meanwhile, the Transfer Talk podcast will also be back at the turn of the year with more expert analysis from here and across the continent.

And as well as tuning into Sky Sports News, don’t miss a thing with our dedicated Transfer Centre blog.