FORMER Newcastle bad boy Hatem Ben Arfa has linked up with Brazil legend Ronaldo and agreed a deal with Spanish side Real Valladolid.
And first up for the Frenchman will be trying to help his new side avoid relegation from La Liga.
Hatem Ben Arfa will be hoping Brazil legend Ronaldo can get his career back on trackCredit: @realvalladolid
The former Les Bleus international extended his much travelled and turbulent career on Tuesday by signing a contract with the minnows.
Former Brazil striker Ronaldo is the main shareholder.
At 32, Ben Arfa was out of contract after leaving French club Rennes.
The attacking midfielder has now signed a deal until the end of the season in a bid to help his new team avoid relegation.
Valladolid announced the transfer by posting a picture of Ben Arfa shaking hands with Ronaldo, who took over at Valladolid in September 2018.
Ben Arfa will play in a third different league and at an eighth club after stints at Lyon, Newcastle, Hull, Marseille, Nice, Paris Saint-Germain and Rennes.
Valladolid, which sits 16th in the Spanish standings, said Ben Arfa will start training with his new teammates on Wednesday.
Once regarded as France’s most gifted player, Ben Arfa did not live up to the huge expectations he raised with his exceptional pace and dribbling abilities when he played with Lyon, the club where he was nurtured.
But he struggled after he left the French team in 2008.
Following two seasons in Marseille, he joined Newcastle, where a hard tackle from Manchester City midfielder Nigel De Jong left him with a leg broken in two places.
It put him on the sidelines for almost a year and he continued to struggle with fitness throughout his time at St James’ Park.
He was cast into the shadows by then-Magpies boss Alan Pardew before making a switch back to his homeland.
After bouncing back with Nice, Ben Arfa landed a dream move when he was signed by PSG.
But the experience quickly turned sour.
Ben Arfa was sidelined during his final year in Paris because of disputes with club officials and left for Rennes, where he scored nine goals last season.
Hatem Ben Arfa’s dream move to PSG in 2016 quickly turned sourCredit: AP:Associated Press
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
