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The Spanish defender is aware that a number of his countryman have previously starred for the Gunners, including their current boss Mikel Arteta
Pablo Mari is looking to follow in the illustrious footsteps of Cesc Fabregas and Santi Cazorla by becoming the latest Spaniard to spend “a long time” at Arsenal.
The 26-year-old defender has only just arrived at Emirates Stadium on an initial loan agreement.
There is an option within the deal which has taken him to north London from Flamengo for a permanent deal to be done in the summer.
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Mari, who failed to make the grade in England during a previous spell at Manchester City, is determined to make his mark, and he is aware of the rich history Arsenal boast when it comes to Spanish talent.
Their current coach, Mikel Arteta, was captain of the club before heading into retirement, while Jose Antonio Reyes formed part of the fabled ‘Invincibles’ squad of 2003-04.
Mari is eager to prove himself deserving of an opportunity to tread a similar path and admits to already planning long term with the Gunners
He told Arsenal Player: “There have been some wonderful Spanish players to play for Arsenal.
“Fabregas, Cazorla, Reyes… they’re all great Spanish players that have passed through this club.
“One of those legends that we have with us now is Mikel. He was a very important player for Arsenal and now this is a new project for him as coach, but I think he’s going to repeat what he achieved when he was a player.
“Personally I look up to him and the career he had at Arsenal. That’s what I’ve been working for all these years.
“I’d love to be at Arsenal for a long time and I hope to give the Gunners some victories to celebrate again.”
Arteta has snapped up Mari in an ongoing effort to plug Arsenal’s defensive leaks.
He will be expected to hit the ground running when handed his debut, but the highly-rated centre-half is confident that a game which saw him to Copa Libertadores glory with Flamengo in 2019 can be adapted to meet the demands of the Gunners in 2020.
Mari said after linking up with the Premier League heavyweights: “I want to take it one day at a time and achieve big things at Arsenal.
“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.”
Arsenal, who sit 10th in the English top flight at present, will be back in action after their winter break when they take in a home date with Newcastle on February 16.