Newcastle United fans would welcome Hatem Ben Arfa back with open arms – but Claude Puel’s arrival at Leicester City could leave them disappointed.
With rose tinted glasses firmly glued to your face, the prospect of Hatem Ben Arfa returning to Newcastle United in the January transfer window is the stuff of dreams.
Following in the footsteps of David Ginola, Lauren Robert and co, the most recent maverick French winger to dazzle the St James’ Park crowd remains one of the most naturally gifted players in Newcastle’s recent history.
Understandably, Magpies supporters were getting rather giddy at the prospect of Ben Arfa making an emotional return to Tyneside in the New Year with The Mail reporting that the wondergoal specialist was eyeing a move to the Premier League.
It now appears, however, that another club in England’s top flight has emerged as the most likely destination for a player whose staggering skill and technical ability has never really translated into a consistently successful club career.
Emotional return?
French publication RMC Sport claims that there is a real possibility that Ben Arfa could be bringing his unique skill set to Leicester City. After all, new Foxes manager Claude Puel is possibly the only coach in Ben Arfa’s nomadic career to get the winger performing to his very best on a consistent basis.
The 30-year-old’s once promising career looked to be in the doldrums when he moved to Nice in 2015 after being released by Newcastle. What followed, however, was by far the most consistent season of Ben Arfa’s career.
With Puel at the helm, the one-time Lyon prodigy scored 17 goals in 34 Ligue 1 appearances, the only time he has hit double figures in a season. The world class footballer that Ben Arfa threatened to become had finally emerged.
An ill-fated move to PSG in 2016, however, has proved a disaster. Ben Arfa has spent the last month training with the reserves and, with his contract expiring in the summer, looks certain to be on his way.
Though Puel and Leicester look a better fit than Benitez and Newcastle.
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