West Ham join race for Ben Arfa

I for one am not sure which is weirder; the fact that Hatem Ben Arfa is a PSG player, or the fact that West Ham believe that he could be the man to salvage their season. Regardless, that is indeed what reports this week have suggested. The Hammers are weighing up either a loan move or a permanent deal, according to the Guardian, to bring the French international to West London in January.

Newcastle fans may remember Ben Arfa’s stunning solo effort against Bolton in 2012, but in three seasons with the Magpies he never managed to score more than five Premier League goals in a campaign. The talent at the Frenchman’s disposal is obvious, but his consistency and attitude have often been called into question.

Naturally then, West Ham, who are in free fall this season, are reportedly going to turn to the midfielder in order to prevent a further slide down the league table, and perhaps into the dreaded Championship. The Irons have scored just 12 times in 14 league games this season, and currently sit in 18th spot in the table.

Ben Arfa meanwhile hasn’t played a single minute in Ligue 1 for PSG so far this campaign, and will no doubt be itching to get some first team action if a move does materialise. It is just a shame that Bolton no longer play in the Premier League.