Ben Arfa set to complete Newcastle loan deal
Marseille winger Hatem Ben Arfa is on the verge of joining Premier League outfit Newcastle on- oan for the duration of the season. It is believed the Frenchman will cost the club around two million pounds for the loan deal with the option of making the deal permanent for five million pounds.
It’s a transfer that has been in the pipeline for well over a month now with several twists and turns, although with Ben Arfa now on his way to the north-east for a medical, the deal looks certain to go through. The Magpies have done well to beat of interest from AC Milan, Werder Bremen and Liverpool in order to land their man, so they’ll no doubt be delighted.
It’s a deal that has for a long time looked like dragging on almost endlessly, especially following the player’s very public fallout with his parent club. After refusing to train with the French champions, he stated: “Just because (footballers) are paid does not mean we are slaves,” which meant the question become not whether Ben Arfa would leave, but rather when and to where.
Ben Arfa, 23, certainly represents a coup for the Tyneside club though. Having spent four years at Lyon, he was subject to apparent interest from Europe’s most elite clubs, with many touting him as a star of the future. Alongside Karim Benzema, Lyon had two of Europe’s most exciting prospects, although it has to be said, neither has gone on to turn that promise into the world class footballer many expected.
There is still time yet though, but Ben Arfa will need to sort his behavioural problems out before he starts to make a real impact on the game. His feud with current club Marseille is just the latest misdemeanour, having reportedly scuffled with the aforementioned Benzema and new Arsenal recruit Sebastien Squillaci at Lyon, and former Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse at Marseille. This is perhaps the reason he has made the move to Tyneside instead of a club of any European pedigree.
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