Southampton manager Claude Puel has explained how Ben Arfa will be able to flourish.
Speaking to Le10Sport, Southampton boss Claude Puel has gone on to state that Hatem Ben Arfa needs a team built around him in order for the attacker to flourish.
There is no doubting the fact that Ben Arfa is an outrageously talented footballer but it has to be said that the winger’s questionable attitude has not done his talents justice.
Ben Arfa showed glimpses of his brilliance during spells at Lyon, Marseille and Newcastle United but he was unable to deliver on a consistent basis at the aforementioned clubs.
It finally seemed like he had managed to bring about consistency into his game following a wonderful campaign with Nice last term, where he managed 17 goals in 34 appearances for the Ligue 1 outfit.
The exploits at the Allianz Riviera earned Ben Arfa a move to giants Paris Saint-Germain over the summer but things have not quite gone according to plan for the 29-year-old at the Parc des Princes.
Ben Arfa has struggled to earn regular minutes on the pitch at PSG and as a huge indication that the attacker has failed to impress manager Unai Emery, he was omitted from the 18-man squad for the club’s Champions League opener against Arsenal last week.
There are now fears that Ben Arfa could potentially flatter to deceive once again in his career but former manager Puel believes that the ex-Newcastle star can still succeed in Paris.
Puel, who brought out the best in the star at Nice last season, explained that the PSG man is a player who needs a team built around him and compared the explosive winger to Manchester United superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The Southampton boss told Le10Sport, “Every coach has to make choices. I somehow managed Ben Arfa, is it possible in Paris? Hatem is the same type as Ibra. You must build the team around him, put him in the best conditions.”
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