Posted on Saturday, 9th June 2012 by Tony Merakli
Arsene Wenger was once keen on signing Hatem Ben Arfa, when the French winger was at Lyon, and could/should (in my opinion) rekindle his interest in the 25-year-old, after the Newcastle playmaker recently admitted that he would consider a ‘really serious’ proposition from a bigger club this summer.
Despite expressing his happiness at Newcastle, Ben Arfa, who was the third highest goal scorer for Alan Pardew’s side last season with six goals in all competitions, said:
‘Newcastle are a very big club, even if there are bigger ones.
‘If I do not have a really, really serious proposal, I’ll stay.
‘If a big club comes, but does not propose something interesting – that is to say, the coach really wants me – I’ll stay.’
The France international then went on to commend his current club and their fans for their support and says he has settled well at Newcastle:
‘I have settled in that team, I have trust from the coach, chairman and all the fans. I have never been settled like that.’
I don’t know about you guys but I would love to see Wenger revive his interest in Ben Arfa this summer.
The former Lyon and Marseille man is exactly what we are looking for, especially if the likes of Andrey Arshavin, Park Chu-Young and Abou Diaby are sold on.
The versatile French winger possesses pace and agility in abundance, as well as great technique, dribbling skill and creativity. He looks an Arsenal player to me and would do well for our club.
The only stumbling block in this potential move would be the transfer fee, as Ben Arfa still has three years left to run on his existing contract, meaning Newcastle will more than likely demand a commanding fee – should they consider selling – and rightly so after the season the Frenchman had at the Sports Direct Arena.
I imagine a lot of top European clubs will be circling Ben Arfa after his latest comments this summer. I just hope we’re one of them!
What do you guys think – Should Wenger rekindle his interest in Ben Arfa this summer?
Give us your thought on the matter below
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Tags: Alan Pardew, Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, Hatem Ben Arfa, Newcastle
Posted in View From The Sphere | Comments (43)
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June 9th, 2012 at 4:57 pm
He’s better than Nasri imo. Similarly talented, but seems more positive in his play and more able to make and score chances than Samir. Would be a great signing for Arsenal if it were possible, but I think they’d ask for a lot of money.
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June 9th, 2012 at 4:59 pm
Good lad, but I’d prefer Affelay, he’s a terrific player and great friends with Van Persie, and seem to click greatly on the pitch, so why not him?
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Nufc Steve Reply:
June 9th, 2012 at 7:26 pm
both were crap tonight…!!
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Patrick Ssekatawa Reply:
June 10th, 2012 at 5:58 am
If signing a player depended on a single display like last night’s, no one would buy a Dutch player, because they were all awful. However, that has never been the case, brother. It remains that they are terrific players, just as the French players flopped at the 2002 World Cup, but shone again.
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June 9th, 2012 at 5:04 pm
He also looks a Newcastle player to me! Mitts off!
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June 9th, 2012 at 5:10 pm
Well what can i say you lot really are day dreamers, Hatem Ben Arfa has quite openly said he wants to stay at Newcastle for the long term but would move ONLY if an extraordinary offer came in but it would have to be amazing offer and quite frankly Arse’n'hole have nothing to offer that we couldn’t.
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June 9th, 2012 at 5:17 pm
[...] Should Wenger rekindle his interest in this Newcastle winger? [...]
June 9th, 2012 at 5:20 pm
“The Newcastle playmaker recently admitted that he would consider a ‘really serious’ proposition from a bigger club this summer”.
You have answered your own question, why would he leave a club on the up for a one on the wain?
Maybe a few years ago I would have been concerned but I do think you Gooners need a dose of reality. You no longer dine at the Real, Barca or even Man City’s table any more.
Slightly above Newcastle perhaps but no significant improvement for Ben Arfa.
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Lyle Reply:
June 9th, 2012 at 7:32 pm
I agree Newcastle are a team on the rise, whilst Arsenal are in apparent decline.
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Patrick Ssekatawa Reply:
June 10th, 2012 at 6:24 am
Of course Arsenal have never been at par with Real or Barca. Never! However, I can’t understand what you mean by branding Arsenal ‘a team on the wane’. Arsenal finished the season with 70 points, three better than the season before. Is that a downward trend?
Arsenal spent more money last summer than the previous seasons to bring in the likes of Arteta, Gervinho, Mertesacker, Santos, Benayoun, Chamberlain. Is that a wane? Arsenal finished third, the first time in four-five years, and you call that a wane?
Get serious Mr. Write with the stats on your side, not what your deceptive mind tells you. Newcastle may have finished 5th, but they will never better Arsenal, and you know that. They will never have the stature of AFC, they will never win the trophies Arsenal have.
In fact they even surprised themselves by finishing 5th, and they most probably will not replicate that feat, I bet you. Arsenal are certain to finish in the top four next season, and they can also move better and win the Premiership, because that’s their ambition every time a season starts.
Arsenal are a much better club than you’re willing to give them credit for, and so moving to Arsenal is surely a move up for Ben Arfa, brother. I’m sure even your conviction tells you exactly that.
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Stu Astle Reply:
June 10th, 2012 at 1:34 pm
Arteta, Gervinho, Mertesacker, Santos, Benayoun!!
Hardly Petite, Bergkamp, Viera, Adams or Henry I think even you will agree?
My perception of Arsenal being on the wain was originally gained from the copious amount of Arsenal fans screaming for Arsene’s head last season, the bin bag protest etc. coupled with the panic buy of Mertesacker, something that would never of happened a few years ago.
You accuse me of of not using facts to back up my comments then go on to say Newcastle will NEVER win trophies please let me know where you got those facts from.
I have seen my team torn apart both home and away by Arsenal on more occassions than i care to remember. Last season was 0-0 and 2-1 the latter via an injury time winner with Newcastle piling forward at the time, not the 3 or 4 goal romps of the past.
It may not be what you want to hear my friend but alas I feel it’s true.
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Porciestreet Reply:
June 10th, 2012 at 4:25 pm
You should have been a west ham fan mate cos your heads in a bubble. Yes you finished higher than us, yes you wasted a shedload more money than us,and yes you hav e a cupboard full of pots, but can you honestly say that on current form, you are any better than us, I think not. Now remind me please, is it gooners or GONNERS.!
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June 9th, 2012 at 5:51 pm
Everybody wants our players. Everyone one of our first team players has been linked with a move away. I suppose when V.Persie is sold to Man City then Wenger might spend some money
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June 9th, 2012 at 8:41 pm
Listen… As a realistic toon fan i realise that Arsenal are a bigger name than us, but not by allot, you guys can offer champions league and a better chance at getting it again next year perhaps, we shall see on that. But you get the feeling that HBA are talking about a huge club here, one he couldnt resist, and that im afraid is NOT Arsenal. We are talking a promise of a vital role at Barca, Real or Man Utd here and lets be honest, he havnt done nearly enough to get those kinds of promises yet, so if you are a betting man, bet on him being a toon player again next season.
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June 9th, 2012 at 8:54 pm
I don’t mind interest in our players from clubs like Arsenal – it’s when we get told by the London media that little Tottenham, with their massive 36,000 crowds, are a “big club” are after our players – that is when I get annoyed!!
Big club my a*se
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June 9th, 2012 at 10:44 pm
Interest in our players from CL clubs is an unfortunate result of us having a great season – not to mention scouting set up. Ashley can hold out for £20m for Arfa now, which would be a big gamble on a flair player, who has only just found his feet in this league. Feasible we will finish above arsenal next season – especially if RVP is sold.
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Armourist Reply:
June 9th, 2012 at 11:39 pm
RVP is unlikely to be sold, might leave on a free but not sold, and you had a great season last year, where we had a really bad one, that’s why you were close and even then there were two clubs between us.
You had the best prep to come into the season, we came in with our worse summer, and still finished above you, hopefully if we are well prepared we should hopefully finish above you and closer to the winners if that isn’t us.
Do you think Newcastle are good enough to finish closer to the winners?
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June 9th, 2012 at 11:25 pm
Dream on … HBA is toon thro and thro, why go to a mediocre club?
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June 10th, 2012 at 1:23 am
Mediocre club? Nothing to offer that Newcastle can’t? Hahaha. Seems you Newcastle fans are the ones that need a reality check.
Far bigger club worldwide than Newcastle, Champions League football for 13 or 14 years on the trot.
While Arsenal fans would be deluded to believe we are on the same level as Barcelona, Real Madrid, AC Milan and Man Utd or offer the same wages to players as Man City, Chelsea and PSG, we are miles above Newcastle and always will be.
Very little chance you’ll finish above us next season, whether Van Persie stays or not. Your squad is paper thin and will have no chance of coping with the demands of Europa League and Premier League football, without 6 or 7 good additions to the squad.
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Patrick Ssekatawa Reply:
June 10th, 2012 at 7:29 am
Not very little chance, man. No chance whatsoever!!!!!
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Porciestreet Reply:
June 10th, 2012 at 4:40 pm
You lot are like the rest of the so-called biggest clubs,just a bunch of loud mouthed big gobs.
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June 10th, 2012 at 1:28 am
Not to mention, while our trophy drought has been disappointing at least we’ve been involved in finals and unfortunate not to win 2 or 3 trophies in the last 7 years, your trophyless run is embarrasing for a so-called big club.
As for Ben Arfa, a few glimpses of talent against weaker teams doesn’t make me want us to go and spend £20m and no other big clubs will either. Yes he’s had injury problems, but at the age of 25, he’s yet to have a great full season to warrant such praise. Then again, Newcastle fans do have to clutch to any little hope.
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Porciestreet Reply:
June 10th, 2012 at 4:43 pm
Wobblegob !
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June 10th, 2012 at 2:31 am
Most Newcastle fans don’t compare themselves to Arsenal – certainly not for the past 10 years. We did have a great season and will need players like HBA to stay in the chase. Please raid Spurs if you must! They are far more deluded than we’ll ever be.
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June 10th, 2012 at 2:43 am
Yes, certainly .. this guy is not only very skillful, he is also brave and filled with drive and fighting spirit ..
In retrospect, we were first linked with this guy and nasri at about the same time .. but we ended up with that shitty coasting pratt (nasri) when we should have bought this guy instead ..
You make a great point .. this is the sort of player we should be looking at, now it seems wenger is quite seriously about getting rid of all the dead wood ..
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Porciestreet Reply:
June 10th, 2012 at 4:44 pm
Perhaps Wenger should consider his tenur as well in that case.
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June 10th, 2012 at 2:46 am
For the loud barcoders coming here to bore us (as we dont get enough noise and boring/empty braggings that always consistently amount to hot air from the noisy totts next door), we barely belong to the same league .. let us just leave it at that.
One question: if you are such a huge club, why is he already sending out a ‘come-and-get me plea’ presumably to the real big clubs?
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Porciestreet Reply:
June 10th, 2012 at 4:47 pm
He,s not !! Its the lazy hacks from the south that print any old sh!te for column inches. You really are dumb if you believe all you read in the press.
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June 10th, 2012 at 6:59 am
Those who say Newcastle are bigger than Arsenal dont really believe it, its just winding… That dosnt change the fact that HBA are talking about a bigger club than arsenal in this piece, because if you guys think you are a huge club still then you are the deluded ones… Bigger than the toon, yah, but huge, not at all.
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June 10th, 2012 at 7:36 am
Comparing Arsenal to Newcastle is absolute blasphemy. Clearly. What is there to talk about? Money, fame, trophies? Nothing, apart from one or two players who could improve Arsenal. So if Newcastle is big, which is true, then Arsenal is huge, in fact massive, and that’s exactly what Ben Arfa was talking about.
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Porciestreet Reply:
June 10th, 2012 at 4:49 pm
Dream on Patrick.
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June 10th, 2012 at 7:51 am
Patrick Ssekatwa… Keep dreaming my deluded friend, im sure things will happen for you if you believe it enough. Arsenal are bigger yah, but a glory hunter such as you strike me to be, need to find a new club if “huge” is what you are looking for.
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Patrick Ssekatawa Reply:
June 10th, 2012 at 8:53 am
Yes, Newcastle are not in the same league as Arsenal in terms of everything there is in football. Arsenal may not be the biggest club in world football, but, compared to Newcastle, no doubt, they are huge, that’s what I meant, Mr. Valle, sir.
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Porciestreet Reply:
June 10th, 2012 at 4:50 pm
Were Patrick, WERE.!
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June 10th, 2012 at 9:24 am
Then you and I must have a very different view on what exactly “huge” means… Either that or you are deluded my friend… A bit bigger yes, but huge in comparison they are not, and if this is the general view of Arsenal fans, you guys have NO right to call spurs fans deluded, for you would be even more so yourself.
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Porciestreet Reply:
June 10th, 2012 at 4:52 pm
Why bring the spuds into this and ruin a good conversation between consenting deluded fans. ?
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June 10th, 2012 at 2:22 pm
LMAO you thought he was talking about your kind of club ROFL
and they call toon fans deluded…….
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June 10th, 2012 at 2:59 pm
This is a nothing story. Newcastle will value Ben Arfa way too high and lets face it when does Wenger ever want to spend any real money. He hesitated over Mata and look where he is now over the sake of a few million. It’ll always be the same. Yes I’m an Arsenal fan but I do think a lot of our fans are a bit deluded. Adrian Durham normally hits the nail on the head. Maybe it’ll take Wenger out so we can spend a bit as the same is going to happen with the likes of M’Vila. He won’t pay the asking price and we’ll sign second rate
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Porciestreet Reply:
June 10th, 2012 at 4:58 pm
Not far off the mark there AO. I’m quite sure that Wenger would spend loads more if there were no constraints, but the times they are a changin my friend. Maybe it’s a case of him being there just a bit too long and a change would be good.
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June 10th, 2012 at 3:56 pm
well all i can say is to the gooners that say HBA has issued a come and get me,seriouse you need to read the facts what he was actually saying was hes so content at nufc that it would take a massive amount of money , a coach he feels he could trust 100% and would have to be a HUGE club like wa all agree the manchesters the madrids but as for us to be lucky to be the same again next season i think well if we stayed in the top 6 most and higher all season well it shows it aint no fluke and HBA loves newcastle so all the gripes in the world sorry guys it would never be arsenal and you couldnt afford him sorry
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Porciestreet Reply:
June 10th, 2012 at 5:00 pm
Well F*****g Said mate. Roll on next season. Howay The Lads.
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June 10th, 2012 at 8:40 pm
Arsenal bigger than us “in every way”? Somebody’s swallowing myths pedalled by the London Media here….
I’ve heard that your stadium is often referred to as “The Library” …..nobody could ever say that about United’s fans at SJP
Big my a*se
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