Pablo Mari is holding his medical at Udinese today ahead of a potential loan move from Arsenal, according to a report.

Fabrizio Romano writes that a deal for Pablo Mari to join Udinese on loan is expected to be completed today, as the player is undergoing his medical in Italy.

Romano previously reported that Udinese had come to an agreement with Arsenal for a straight loan until June with no purchase option.

Mari has hardly featured at all for Arsenal this season, playing just three times in all competitions. Even calling the centre-back a “squad option” is too generous, as he’s only made the squad in 10 matches of Arsenal’s 26.

It was clear going into the month that the 28-year-old needed a loan or a permanent move to get things going again. Fortunately, it seems Udinese are offering him that opportunity.

Mari struggled in his opening Premier League fixtures of the campaign, as Arsenal lost to Brentford and Chelsea.

Combine that with Gabriel Magalhaes’ strong form and Ben White settling in quickly alongside him, and it’s not hard to see why Mikel Arteta has been opting for others.

At the same time, the only way for Mari to turn things around is to get back playing again – something he hasn’t yet had the chance to do.

Ideally, the defender will start to show his abilities again on loan, and he and Arsenal will be in a stronger position to assess his next steps in the summer.