Newcastle United reportedly want to bring Nabil Fekir to the Premier League – will Real Betis’s La Liga talisman be the Magpies’ first marquee signing?
If Hatem Ben Arfa had the mentality to match his ability, there is no limit to what he could have achieved in the game.
Instead, one of modern football’s most mercurial, enigmatic talents was forced to watch on from the sidelines as his fellow Frenchman, including Nabil Fekir, conquered the World on Russian soil during those glorious summer days of 2018.
A former Lyon captain who has rediscovered his golden touch in Spain over the last nine months or so, Fekir grew up idolising Ben Arfa as the controversy-courting winger rose through the ranks at Les Gones.
And while Ben Arfa only scratched the surface of his potential, the now-33-year-old is still remembered fondly on the terraces of Tyneside.
But will Fekir’s lifelong love of a one-time Magpies hero tempt him to become one of the first marquee signings in a bright new era at St James’ Park?
“Ben Arfa? He was magnificent. I tried to follow his example when I was at the training center,” Fekir admitted.
According to FM, Newcastle are already lining up a series of transfer targets for if, or when, that proposed £300 million takeover is finally ratified. Fekir, who is valued by Real Betis at £44 million, would immediately replace Joelinton and become the club’s all-time record signing.
But a man who has produced ten goals or assists in just 21 La Liga appearances this season could be worth every penny. He has the same skill, the same vision and same eye for the spectacular that set Ben Arfa apart from the rest right from the start – but without all the baggage, thankfully.
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