This archive report was first published on 24 August 2020.
On August 24, 2020, Arsenal announced that they had agreed to permanent deals with defenders Pablo Mari and Cedric Soares, marking the end of their loan spells in the second half of the 2019-20 campaign.
Pablo Mari, a 26-year-old Spanish centre back, joined Arsenal in January from Flamengo, where he helped win the Brazilian Serie A title and Copa Libertadores in 2019.
Although Mari played only three times for Arsenal before his season was cut short by an ankle injury, his performances were impressive enough to secure a permanent deal.
Cedric Soares, a 28-year-old Portugal full back, initially joined Arsenal on a short-term loan deal from Southampton and made five league appearances for Mikel Arteta's side last season.
With the Premier League season set to begin on September 12, 2020, Arsenal is looking to strengthen its defensive cover, with Lille centre back Gabriel Magalhaes reportedly on their radar.
