Bremen eye Ben Arfa

(GSM) – Werder Bremen could usurp Newcastle United in their bid to land Olympique Marseille winger Hatem Ben Arfa.

The Magpies, who have been tracking the France international for some time, had hoped to put a loan agreement in place.

With Marseille keen to strike a permanent deal, as Ben Arfa wishes to play for another club, makes it difficult for the Premier League side.

Newcastle have yet to reply to the latest demands of the reigning Ligue 1 champions, and that delay may have opened the door to other suitors.

Among those ready to pounce are German giants Werder Bremen, who are looking to find a suitable replacement for the Real Madrid-bound Mesut Ozil.

“If Ben Arfa and his agents are happy to do that, that would be no trouble to us,” Marseille chairman Jean-Claude Dassier told L’Equipe on Bremen’s interest.

“We even believe that the German league would be better suited to him than the English league.”