NEWCASTLE UNITED icon Hatem Ben Arfa has sealed a move to the NINTH club of his 16-year career.
The former Magpies hero returned home to France after completing a free transfer to Bordeaux on Wednesday.
Bordeaux have become the ninth team to sign former Newcastle United ace Hatem Ben Arfa Credit: AFP or licensors
And the club’s website confirmed he will wear the No8 shirt for the Ligue One outfit, who finished 12th last season.
Ben Arfa, 33, left Real Valladolid as a free agent this summer following a January move to the Spanish side battling to avoid relegation.
And the Frenchman played for 158 minutes in just five appearances for the LaLiga strugglers.
Ben Arfa, who netted 14 times for Newcastle, has previously played for eight Ligue One and Prem sides including Hull City under former boss Steve Bruce .
The former France international joined Newcastle on loan under Alan Pardew in August 2010, before completing a permanent move in January 2011 and scoring some wonderful individual goals.
BEN ARFA’S CLUB CAREER
The Frenchman has had nine clubs
Lyon (July 2004 – July 2008)
Marseille (July 2008 – July 2011)
Newcastle United (January 2011 – January 2015)
Hull City (September to December 2014 – loan spell)
Nice (July 2015 – July 2016)
Paris St Germain (July 2016 – July 2018)
Rennes (September 2018 – July 2019)
Real Valladolid (January – August 2020)
Bordeaux (October 2020)
Ben Arfa delighted and baffled the Toon Army in equal measure during his 86 appearances for Newcastle.
That was despite his St James’ Park career being put on hold for a year by a horror Nigel de Jong tackle.
However, his relationship with Pardew turned hostile and he left for Nice in 2015 before stints at Rennes, PSG and Valladolid.
Ben Arfa, who left Newcastle in 2015, is regarded as a hero by many Magpies fansCredit: PA:Empics Sport
Former Magpies top scout Graham Carr revealed he had to persuade club owner Mike Ashley to sanction a move for Ben Arfa.
Carr told the Daily Mail: “We started talking about Ben Arfa.
“Mike had this thing with a 4-4-2, first-team players on £40k a week and understudies on £20k.
“He couldn’t understand why we’d want Hatem and Jonas Gutierrez, two left-wingers, on £40k.
“I knew Hatem could be brilliant, so I cut in, ‘He’s a No 10, actually, and he can cut in from the right’. That was it, done.”
Ben Arfa has an option to extend his Bordeaux contract into next season should he have a successful term with the Ligue 1 side.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
