Arsenal are believed to have developed interest in Newcastle winger Hatem Ben Arfa and are now favorites to land him as the player is promised regular starts at the Emirates unlike at Chelsea, after the Blues have also decided to go for him.
It was reported earlier that Chelsea are lining up a move for the French winger this summer as Roman Abramovich continues a major overhaul at the London club. Ben Arfa was unwelcoming of the interest as concerns over his playing time seemed to weigh heavily on the winger’s mind. Alan Pardew has reiterated his desire to keep all his star players at the club as the Magpies look to build on their last season’s success but a sum around £15m and upwards could prove too tempting to turn down.
Arsene Wenger , who has already signed German international Lukas Podolski and is on the verge of getting Olivier Giroud’s signature from Montpellier, considers Ben Arfa as a perfect option to sort out the problems on the wings as Theo Walcott is yet to sign a contract extension at the club. The prospect of playing regularly for the North London club and be a part of Champions League could be hard to turn down for the 25 year old.
Ben Arfa, who joined the Tyneside club in 2010 on loan and then securing a complete transfer in the summer of 2011, has earned himself plenty of admirers with his fine displays. The player is currently in Poland-Ukraine for the Euros and a call on his future will be taken once he returns.