Many Newcastle fans will know Ligue 2’s Le Havre as the club where Newcastle had a protracted compensation battle with over French midfielder Charles N’Zogbia in 2004.
It was eventually ruled that Newcastle would have to pay Le Havre £250k as compensation for the Academy product. It is also the club where Manchester United initially signed midfielder Paul Pogba from in 2009.
There is a report in Get French Football News that Le Havre have been in talks with former Newcastle United midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa.
The report has comments made by Le Havre president Vincent Volpe, who had this to say about the 32-year-old Frenchman:
“We have thought about him. I have had contacts with him… He wanted to quit France. I did not share his opinion in that regard… he loves Paul Le Guen and the feeling is mutual.
“It is not impossible that he continues to play in France, even in Ligue 2 with us… I must admit that it is more difficult now, as the season is passing by. There are contacts, there have been contacts. I have respect for him and I like him a lot.”
Le Havre is coached by former French international defender Paul Le Guen who joined the club this summer. Le Guen also played for and managed Paris Saint-Germain during his career.
Ben Arfa remains a free agent after his contract with Rennes ran out in the summer. He has been unsuccessful in his pursuit of a new club so far.
Hatem issued a strange statement in early September explaining his reasons for not agreeing to any offers that were proposed to him. This is what he put on Instagram at the time:
“No challenge that has been proposed to me has excited me.
“It’s like with a woman if she does not excite you, skip it my brother”
Unless he’s had a massive change of heart, we just can’t see him dropping to Ligue 2 to play for Le Havre. Though we would really be impressed with the Frenchman if he did.
41 comments so far
Jail for Ashley
Oct 21, 2019 at 5:36 PM
Comment #1Rafa Oot!
hibbit
Oct 21, 2019 at 5:46 PM
Comment #2#fairandbalanced
Rotonda heights
Oct 21, 2019 at 5:51 PM
Comment #3Ashley being rude to a prospective buyer. Who’d a thought!!! Just file along with mansours, dubai royal family, bzg, staveley …….et al.
toon22
Oct 21, 2019 at 6:00 PM
Comment #4Jabba wont sell till theres nothing left to take
Jib
Oct 21, 2019 at 6:15 PM
Comment #5Tonight
Sunderland U23 v Newcastle United U23 in Premier League 2
at the Hetton Centre
investinyouthtoon
Oct 21, 2019 at 6:22 PM
Comment #6Rotonda at 3, surely not, you would have thought he would have learnt his lesson after so many fake overs. So much for his defenders in the media and on here who claim he is desperate to get rid of the club.
In my opinion, this is more reason to demonstrate/ protest/ boycott in numbers to make sure he gets a move on and leaves sooner rather than later.
Ron Knee
Oct 21, 2019 at 6:49 PM
Comment #7Wijnaldum nominated for Ballon d’Or.
MagpieRanger
Oct 21, 2019 at 6:54 PM
Comment #8That team of 2011/12 was unbelievable. If only we could have built on it instead of selling at the first given opportunity, could have been regulars in Europe, for sure. If Rafa had that team who knows what we could have achieved!
JohnJ
Oct 21, 2019 at 6:59 PM
Comment #9Repost
Ring Ring – Ring Ring
Err Hello
Is that Mr Charley?
Yes
Is it true that Mr Ashley had a meeting with some Mexican business men about a takeover?
Erm No comment
Brrrr dead line.
All attempts to get further information from Newcastle about the meeting were met with no comment!
Surprise – Surprise
Ron Knee
Oct 21, 2019 at 7:08 PM
Comment #10Liam Kennedy
? @LiamJKennedy23
12s12 seconds ago
7′ Charman scores! Straight down the middle. 0-1 #NUFC
RobLeenio
Oct 21, 2019 at 7:08 PM
Comment #11Howay the stiffs. If we can’t get to give the Mackems a proper mauling at senior level, we’ll have to do it at under 23s instead
RobLeenio
Oct 21, 2019 at 7:11 PM
Comment #12Victor Fernandez playing for the kids tonight. There were big noises around him when we signed him, then he got injured and has barely played since.
Essex Geordie Bill
Oct 21, 2019 at 7:13 PM
Comment #13The under 23s game is supposedly being broadcast live on radio but nowt happening as yet!
RobLeenio
Oct 21, 2019 at 7:21 PM
Comment #14Apparently Fernandez won the penalty that Charman scored from.
There’s also an eighteen year old goalie I’ve never heard of playing. Next on the conveyor belt?
Daniel Langley, the next Jak Alnwick / Fraser Forster / Freddie Woodman / Nathan Harker
Ron Knee
Oct 21, 2019 at 7:26 PM
Comment #15Lee Ryder
?Verified account @lee_ryder
29s29 seconds ago
Brandon Taylor sent off for Sunderland #nufc
RobLeenio
Oct 21, 2019 at 7:32 PM
Comment #16That’s one of their centre backs Ron. Seems like our forwards are tearing them apart. Five shots on goal to none for them. Sixty percent possession for us.
Could do with some of that in the first team.
Jib
Oct 21, 2019 at 7:33 PM
Comment #17Taylor is from Gateshead
Serves him right for playing for the filth
Ron Knee
Oct 21, 2019 at 7:38 PM
Comment #18“Victor Fernandez giving Bali Mumba a torrid time”, Rob.
Jib
Oct 21, 2019 at 7:45 PM
Comment #19Both Orlegi Sport and NUFC have said no comment.
Is this a positive sign ?
RobLeenio
Oct 21, 2019 at 7:54 PM
Comment #20https://tinyurl.com/y2saj2og
Decent article about the state of football in the North East as a whole from the Middlesbrough gazette.
I know, I’m of for a shower just in case.
RobLeenio
Oct 21, 2019 at 7:59 PM
Comment #21Might be nowt to do with Orlegi Sports jib. Might also be a load of cr@p.
RobLeenio
Oct 21, 2019 at 8:01 PM
Comment #22Aye Ron. There was a lot of excitement when we signed him, he was supposed to be one of the most exciting talents of his generation. If he can get some form, he’s one of our top prospects.
RobLeenio
Oct 21, 2019 at 8:13 PM
Comment #23Anyone have access to the Martin hardy article in the times and can copy and paste it here?
Jib
Oct 21, 2019 at 8:17 PM
Comment #24https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/newcastle-united-fans-nightmare-trip-delivers-dream-79cjw3h8n
GeordieTwo
Oct 21, 2019 at 8:19 PM
Comment #25Is a TGS with one goal at the 9 game mark enough? Actually we have 5 TGS at the moment. Hmmm. Let me think aboot that. 1 goal in 9 matches would mean aboot 4 goals or 5 goals at season’s end. Hmmmm. It’s not exciting me…..
GeordieTwo
Oct 21, 2019 at 8:21 PM
Comment #26Bali ha’I may call you,
Any night, any day,
In your heart you’ll hear it call you,
“come away, come away”
Bali ha’I will whisper,
On the wind of the sea,
“here am I your special island”
“come to me, come to me”
GeordieTwo
Oct 21, 2019 at 8:21 PM
Comment #27Is that the Bali we’re talking aboot?
Mindshaft
Oct 21, 2019 at 8:27 PM
Comment #28Newcastle have offered no comment to pretty much all the alleged bids – once bitten twice shy , 3rd, 4th , 5th and 6th bids …whatever – just more bullshit
GeordieTwo
Oct 21, 2019 at 8:28 PM
Comment #29Is our current strike force powerful enough? If we were a naval fleet it would be a dinghy and possibly some water wings…..
Ron Knee
Oct 21, 2019 at 8:29 PM
Comment #30Lee Ryder
?Verified account @lee_ryder
17s18 seconds ago
2-0 – Fernandez turns in the box and fires home the second. #nufc
Mindshaft
Oct 21, 2019 at 8:30 PM
Comment #31We got extremely lucky against spurs who were all over us – in retrospect they’ve won about 4 of their last 18 games , ManU even worse – to say we’ve beaten too six clubs us a bit wide of the mark even if it is always great to beat them
GeordieTwo
Oct 21, 2019 at 8:31 PM
Comment #32Fox in the box Fernandez!!!
Jib
Oct 21, 2019 at 8:31 PM
Comment #33The Blades 1 Gunners 0 !!!!!!
RobLeenio
Oct 21, 2019 at 8:33 PM
Comment #34Made up for Victor Fernandez. Made one scored one has to go Steve as a good day at the office
RobLeenio
Oct 21, 2019 at 8:33 PM
Comment #35* go down…
Mindshaft
Oct 21, 2019 at 8:40 PM
Comment #36Jib – exactly , bar Liverpool and Man city the rest are very beatable this season – going to be an interesting season …
MagpieRanger
Oct 21, 2019 at 8:57 PM
Comment #37Unless Mike Ashley is getting £350 million, free SD advertising for the next ten years and a slice of merchandise sales then there will be no takeover.
boltonmagpie
Oct 21, 2019 at 9:02 PM
Comment #38MagpieRanger you have hit the nail on the head.
Jib
Oct 21, 2019 at 9:34 PM
Comment #39It’s funny watching Unai Emery whingeing about Sheff Utd wasting time – he manages a team that has turned time-wasting into an art-form.
Genjikai
Oct 21, 2019 at 9:40 PM
Comment #40There is a different future.
A one where we all stand together.
There will come a point where you will all have that feeling. The feeling that enough is enough.
You are not an asset to be continually exploited.
The North east suffers because of Ashley.
Local businesses suffer because of ashley.
This generation suffer because of ashley.
To show a united front, not just here in the north east, but from round the country and further afield.
This is a call to all magpies. Where ever you may be, your club and city needs you.
Stand up to ashley at every opportunity, display your discontent towards him.
Let the world know what is happening to our club.
If we dont act we will lose what we love.
Its your duty, as a Geordie, to stand up for Newcastle.
Tell everyone, we will get our club back.