The Frenchman has been linked with a move to Leicester
The January transfer window is fast approaching, and, inevitably, there is much speculation regarding possible transfers, with one such move linking Hatem Ben Arfa with a switch to Leicester City.
Ben Arfa, who hasn’t played a single competitive game this season after being demoted to Paris Saint-Germain’s B team, could make the move to the King Power Stadium, as reported by Le Parisien.
At his best Ben Arfa is capable of causing all manner of problems for opposing defenders with his directness and trickery, while he also has prior experience of working with Leicester manager Claude Puel.
When the pair worked together at Nice, Puel oversaw Ben Arfa’s best season in recent years, with the midfielder scoring 17 goals in 34 Ligue 1 games during the 2015/16 campaign.
There is hope that Ben Arfa could have a similar impact when working under Puel at Leicester but that alone shouldn’t persuade the Foxes to seriously consider this transfer.
Ben Arfa’s career has been blighted by attitude problems and inconsistency, and bringing him in could well disrupt the harmony that has been created at Leicester since Puel’s appointment as manager.
Although Ben Arfa is capable of playing as an attacking midfielder or out wide, Leicester already possess sufficient creative options with the likes of Riyad Mahrez, Marc Albrighton and the increasingly influential Demarai Gray.
During his last stint in the Premier League, a loan spell at Hull City from Newcastle United in 2014/15, Ben Arfa made just eight top flight appearances and failed to score, while in total he has scored just 13 times in 84 Premier League games.
Leicester would certainly benefit from bringing in new players in January, but signing Ben Arfa is a risk that shouldn’t be taken.
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