There are reports in France that Liverpool will soon put in a bid for Newcastle’s French winger Hatem Ben Arfa, according to reports in France.
Ben Arfa – in training this summer
It’s not the first time Liverpool and manager Brendan Rodgers have been linked with the 13 times capped French International, who is a very popular player on Tyneside.
There was some news back in January that Liverpool were interested in the former Marseilles and Lyon winger, but at the time Ben Arfa had that bad hamstring injury, which kept him out for a lot of last season.
And it seems this news has come up after Liverpool missed out on Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who joined Borussia Dortmund from Shakhtar Donetsk.
The reports in France say that Ben Arfa would be open to the move to the Reds, but that would be a surprise, because he has said many times and said he wants to stay on Tyneside and play for the terrific supporters, and currently he is seeking anew deal at the club.
But of course you never know in football, and we suppose owner Mike Ashley would be willing to sell, but Mike is not daft and it would take an Andy Carroll type bid for Ashley to sell, and we think that would be around £25M.
And Liverpool should be unwilling to pay that amount for the French winger, which is why he will almost certainly stay on Tyneside this summer.
26 year-old Hatem has had a bit of an injury filled time on Tyneside, and in three seasons, since signing on from Marseilles, he has played 56 times with 11 goals and 10 assists.
Comments welcome.
Follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook and +1 us on Google+:
You can also reach Ed at admin@nufcblog.com
=============================================
79 comments so far
asig01
Jul 19, 2013 at 10:57 AM
Comment #41Agree
~Joke-innear~
Jul 19, 2013 at 10:57 AM
Comment #42For 25mill I’d normally be tempted. But with JFK at the club… hell no.
God only knows how many useless players he will bring in… christ since he has been here we have been linked with Bent and Gignac!… players who will hardly improve the club…
I’d rather we keep Arfa.. then sell him for 25mill once we have someone that actually knows what a good player looks like… and not some has been that has out lived their 15 minute of fame.
ToonDarnSarf
Jul 19, 2013 at 10:57 AM
Comment #43Lilongwe
Sure, PEA chose CL football, but Cabaye, Ben Arfa, Cisse, Sissoko, Debuchy, MYM all chose us. I would imagine there were CL teams who would have wanted them, even some CL teams in the UK.
Obviously PEA went to a big club in the CL and I don’t begrudge him that, but I don’t think that means that we need to scramble around to buy a player that Hull rejected because of a medical or a striker that Blackburn signed for £8M just 12 months ago.
If Carr, JFK and the rest deem them full of potential then fair enough, but I haven’t seen anything to prove that.
Murray (Palace), Vydra (Watford), Deeney (Watford), Wood (Leicester) also scored 20 or more goals in the Championship lase season.
In recent year, the top 3 top scorers have included such leading lights as Billy Sharp, Danny Graham, Nicky Maynard, Gary Hooper and Sylvain Ebanks-Blake.
None of whom are good enough for a club that wants to break into the top 6.
Jamseyd24
Jul 19, 2013 at 10:58 AM
Comment #44Another week has gone without a sigining. Really starting to get pi33ed off. Does anyone know of anything thats happening at our beloved club????
John Tudor
Jul 19, 2013 at 10:59 AM
Comment #45at the end of the day if mr ashley want to sell his assets thats up to him but for god sake get replacements in first.
we are playing catch up from god knows when.
Ben3arfa
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:01 AM
Comment #46Do people believe Torq is the messiah or something? lol
I would rather have Gomis than Gignac in all honesty, but if reports are anything to go by , we’re not getting either . Pathetic
Bring Back Laurent Robert
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:01 AM
Comment #47Who suggested he pocketed the money? I can only see my post which you may have misconstrued as alluding to that, I wasn’t. Just saying how when we do sell players, they’re replaced belatedly.
I fully understand that MA has a loan he wants back and that’s fair enough. I actually think that’s why we’re not going on extravagant sprees like other clubs, becuase he sees this added tv money as a chance to repay another chunk of the loan. If we can reduce the wage bill and at the same time have a net spend of around £10-15m, then I’d be happy for him to shave another £10-15m off the debt. The more comes off, the cheaper the club is to buy off him and hopefully that will attract a sugar daddy who wants to finally make us a powerhouse and be heralded for it!
viv
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:01 AM
Comment #48Keep Hatem, and flog Liverpool Jonas, instead. Hatem the most gifted player at NUFC, since Ginola in his pomp!
John Tudor
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:01 AM
Comment #49cardozo signs new deal, now he is off to fenerbahce
Bring Back Laurent Robert
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:02 AM
Comment #50Ah, I see John also made a more obvious comment about the accounts – my bad!
Rotonda heights
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:02 AM
Comment #51geordiemark
you do when your only asset is pace and you’ve lost that through injuries. sad but true.
ToonDarnSarf
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:02 AM
Comment #52Have a chat with fans of other clubs to see what they think of our club and our fans. If our own fans keep going on about what a laughing stock we are, can you imagine what the mackems say about us??
I’ve never been on a Mackem fans site, but I wonder if the posts are like:
“Di Canio out! We don’t need his facist bullsh*t here!”
“What’s the point in signing 9 players already if they’re all rubbish? We need some quality!”
“Damn American Ellis Short. Why can’t he come out in the media once in a while? SHORT OUT!”
“We nearly got relegated last season and now we’re signing championship level players. Preparing for 2014/15???”
John Tudor
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:04 AM
Comment #53there was talk that the loan is not reducing, how is this
and as for belatedly some have not been replaced period
jazzyp
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:04 AM
Comment #54viv
couldn’t agree more.
JONAS OUT !!
Rotonda heights
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:04 AM
Comment #55He was described to us at NU-MAD by West Ham fans as: “a manager who makes an instant impact; but when he starts putting his OWN team together – that’s when you will get problems.
“He is not very good at making signings.
“He doesn’t buy a particular player to fit into a system like Sir Alex Ferguson did, be buys players and tries to fit them into the team without much thought as to any system at all.
“He has to justify his buying, playing individuals out of position just to fit them in. And at times it becomes a mess.
“We notice at Newcastle he has scouts abroad who suggest players, and he brings them in, but how many times has he seen that player play?
“He basically gets what he’s given and tries to make them adapt.
“A good manager gets the players HE wants – and Pardew doesn’t always have faith in his own judgement – so he lets others choose.
“And that is why Joe Kinnear has been brought in, because Mike Ashley knows now Pardew hasn’t got a good eye for a player.
“He was the same at West Ham. We couldn’t wait to get him out.”
terencelim
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:05 AM
Comment #56@ToonDarnSarf You can certainly learn something from “those fans” – to focus on discussion about the club, rather than pointing fingers at other fans and keep moaning.
If they complain about Ashley it means they’re at least talking about the club, it’s their opinions. Grow up man, focus on the club, not other fans.
Burni
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:05 AM
Comment #57I’m sick. Every year we pray for a good transfer window. Every year we try to evaluate the lack of money being spent by tight Ashley. All teams around us are investing money. A few have even broken their transfer records. We however are selling. And looking for a f£%@ing goalkeeper!!!! Howay man. The reason why other teams are Investing is because of the ridiculous money being plowed in for TV deals!!! We are not investing…. Not a penny. And when we do…. I can just feel that we will get a player who’s alright but not class…. Like cabs or hba. Funnily enough the two players who are being linked with a move away. I hate supporting this club with this f£#@%ing clown in charge. He does good….. He kicks us fans in The face. He redeems…. He kicks harder. I’m sick. I just want some ambition. Other clubs have positive press. We don’t we have had naught but negative press….. Every god damn year. Joke.
I feel better now
John Tudor
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:08 AM
Comment #58#50
this you mean
at the end of the day if mr ashley want to sell his assets thats up to him but for god sake get replacements in first.
we are playing catch up from god knows when.or this
no-one is disputing the “accounts” get it right matey your bad
please have a little respect to my posts
ToonDarnSarf
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:08 AM
Comment #59Bring Back Laurent Robert
See post 20, not yours. And read every single other page on here to see at least one comment like that…
I agree with you too. I think MA has every right to get back the approx. £130M that he’s loaned the club, and when he does, then he’d make a profit if he sold the club for above what he bought it for originally.
Honestly, if he did that and then sold us onto someone who wanted to continue to run the club sensibly but maybe use some of his own money to grow the club (as a gift, not a loan), then MA should go down as a legend of the club. Wishful thinking?
viv
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:09 AM
Comment #60Just a couple of decent Strikers a decent Centre half and a winger and the Mags, will be soaring again. So get your finger out Joe!
ToonDarnSarf
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:10 AM
Comment #61terencelim
I thought the club is the fans?
And isn’t it a bit ironic telling me (a fan) to stop talking about other fans?
John Tudor
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:11 AM
Comment #62MA could go down as a legend but while he continually does what he does how many fans will think that
Lilongwe Geordie
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:11 AM
Comment #63TDS,
The difference is, no CL teams actually bid for them. Marseille just wanted rid of Ben Arfa. They may have been looked at by top teams who then decided they weren’t good enough, but we didn’t have to ‘beat’ another club to the signing of them. The club have always said that they don’t want to be involved in bidding wars, or wage wars for players with agents.
Naming other players who scored goals really means very little, I could name players who scored goals in the Prem, who weren’t good, therefore making Van Persie a poor player for only doing it twice.
John Tudor
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:12 AM
Comment #64and as posted earlier how much has been taken from the loan, i think it just goes up
scottydlb23
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:15 AM
Comment #6525 Million, yes please! use that money for Scott Sinclair, John Guidetti and Remy.
gazzaforever
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:16 AM
Comment #66People who are ok to sell Benny know shit about football, he is our key player and I still say that he will be the best player in the league this season. You will see.
jazzyp
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:16 AM
Comment #67toondarnsarf
I wouldn’t say the dark side have signed 9 rubbish players at all.
altidore and giaccherini are top signings. the mackems have realized ther past mistakes of last season in the fact the squad just wasn’t good enough, and at least there doing something about it.
sadly we are not.and by looking at player like bent and gignac. this will not move our club forward-but more of the ways of treading water.
plana
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:18 AM
Comment #68Rubin Kazan, want Cisse so the plot thickens.
nufc 11
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:26 AM
Comment #69HBA on his day is a world beater, can be very fustrating player sometimes tho having siad that he is a player that can change a game ina flash, produce that piece of magic it would have to be a very good bid to get him, altho LFC cud be trying to unsettle him, knowing our lot they wud prob take Downing and cash…..
scottydlb23
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:27 AM
Comment #70Krul
Debuchy – Collo – Mbiwa – Santon
Sissoko – Cabaye
Marveaux Sinclair
Remy Cisse
scottydlb23
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:33 AM
Comment #71He is a key player but he is injured to much for me. If the offer was 25 million then i think that is a great price. If he stays fit he is an amazing player but i don’t think we have handled his injuries very well over the last couple of seasons.
Sazzer
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:35 AM
Comment #72TDF
You forget about Long, Holt, Le Fondre, Lambert probably others that have made the step up with out no problem.
Also having Austin as our 4 th striker to bring on when we are hoofing it into box for 3,5 m or less is better than Campbell at this stage.
Also both Austin and Rhodes have scored 20+ in every club every season.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t try get De Jong, Volland, Doumbia or Gamerio for that money. But it’s far better paying 10 m £ on 23 year olds than 5-7 m £ for 27-29 year olds.
evildick
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:46 AM
Comment #73MA will go down as a legendary tw@t
evildick
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:50 AM
Comment #74if I thought we’d see 25m from the sale of Ben Arfa I’d be massively tempted… but I don’t think we would.
also feel we should keep our settled (and best) players…
getting excited now, not that long to go lads!
Sinner
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:51 AM
Comment #75Agree sell him for 10m and buy Gomis another Ameobi like player and Bent.We’re going to win the league! 🙂
toonluvva
Jul 19, 2013 at 11:56 AM
Comment #76This transfer window is fast becoming an absolute nightmare for us.
All of the players we were being linked with prior to the window opening, PEA, Bony etc, have been snapped up by other teams. We have brought in a 16 year old!
Worse still, other teams are expressing interest in our better players, Cabaye, Krul and Hatem. We might get a good price for them, but can JoKe replace them with players who are at least as good?
Certainly signing Bent smacks of desperation, and in no way follows the Ashley model of buying younger players and upping their value.
I know that players came and go, but I fear that in the pursuit of a quick profit, we end up ruining a promising squad that could with a few decent additions could have been chasing honours.
gazzaforever
Jul 19, 2013 at 3:49 PM
Comment #77Now I understand why good people are leaving this blog, too many idiots like toondownarmysouth, jazzzyp, lilongeordie and more are killing it with stupid comments, good news I wont come here anymore. Hba isnt injury prone you bunch of cnuts, he had 2 big injuries and I hope Liverpool will snap it because you simply dont deserve him. Have fun watching obertan gouf jonas or kebab, I like talent, and this blog and this team is losing it
geordie racer
Jul 19, 2013 at 7:22 PM
Comment #78Interesting price but there’s NO WAY Liverpool would get stung twice.
I can’t see it happening.
In any case, Ben Arfa really is our most creative player. We need to ensure he stays fit and motivated, and then we will see the very best from him.
We certainly do not want to see him signing for a rival club, and setting the league on fire.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say we need to keep him no matter what bid comes in, but Liverpool won’t pay massively over the odds again, so there’s no point in selling one of our best players.
And even his biggest critics cannot deny his really is one of our best players!
Premiership Manager
Jul 19, 2013 at 9:52 PM
Comment #79HBA is not a team player, takes on players when he could pass and is a liability in possession as he is prone to giving the ball away.
Yes he can score wonder goals but the truth is he is a luxury we don’t need.
We do need creative players however if Liverpool offered more than £10M or a swap for Stirling it would be a good deal for the club.
Neither Cabaye or HBA are worth much more than £10M and it amazes me how some supporters can be so deluded. Next we’ll win the league!!!!
Players like Fellini, Rooney and Suarez create goals, score goals and can inspire their team when they get the bit between their teeth. They don’t give the ball away but their assists and goal tallies come the end of the season.
Cabaye and HBA’s tallies are way down compared with many teams and couldn’t touch the record of many former NUFC midfielders and forwards.
There is no place for individuals in the squad, we need a team who can work and play for each other and until that is fixed we will continue to have problems