Where is Hatem Ben Arfa now?

• Hatem Ben Arfa was at one point one of the best-rated talents in Europe
• During his days at Lyon, the talented midfielder played alongside Karim Benzema and was considered better than the future Ballon d’Or winner
• Whereas Benzema went to lit the Santiago Bernabeu after leaving Lyon, Ben Arfa spent his career moving from one club to another

One of the best-rated talents in Europe at one point, Hatem Ben Arfa is name many football fans are familiar with. Born in Clamart, France, Ben Arfa played for several youth clubs in France and showed quality and technical ability while still young.

During his days at Lyon, the talented midfielder played alongside Karim Benzema and was considered better than the future Ballon d’Or winner. Ben Arfa showed superb dribbling ability scampering into space with the ball never leaving his feet. It didn’t take long before he got the attention of football fans outside France and become a fan favourite due to his ability to score sensational goals.

Hatem Ben Arfa and Karim Benzema during their time at Lyon. Photo/ BeSoccer.

Whereas Karim Benzema went to lit the Santiago Bernabeu after leaving Lyon, Ben Arfa spent his career moving from one club to another.

During his time with Newcastle United, Ben Arfa lit the English Premier League with his dribbling skills and fantastic strikes. But a loan spell to Hull City and eventual transfer to Nice lead to a good number forgetting about him. So, where is Hatem Ben Arfa now?

Ben Arfa’s Football Career

After showing his ability with the ball while at Lyon’s academy, Ben Arfa was promoted to the senior team in 2004. With Lyon, Ben Arfa won the Ligue 1 title four consecutive times from 2005 to 2008.

In the summer of 2008, the young winger joined Marseille for a fee believed to be £11 million. Ben Arfa scored six goals in his first eleven matches, proving he was worth all the money paid for his transfer. He would spend two years at the club, winning the Ligue 1, Coupe de la Ligue and Trophee des Champions.

On 28 August 2010, Newcastle United announced that they had signed Hatem Ben Arfa from Marseille. According to Goal, some at Newcastle had wanted to sign Ben Arfa five years back when he was yet to sign his first professional contract at Lyon. At that time, he was available for just £500,000 and Newcastle would regret paying five times more than that five years later.

In his debut season, Ben Arfa suffered a gruesome leg injury that would keep him out for several months. The following season was arguably the Frenchman’s best campaign as he cemented his cult hero status. Apart from showing amazing skills down the flanks, he bagged five goals and added six assists as Newcastle finished fifth in the standings.

Unfortunately, that was his peak campaign in England as he would spend the following three years falling out of favour with his teammates as well as managers.

On 2 September 2014, Ben Arfa was loaned out to Hull City until the end of the season. However, he only spent three months at the club before unexpectedly leaving England and returning to France. Newcastle terminated his contract on 4 January.

Where Is Hatem Ben Arfa Now?

Hatem Ben Arfa joined Nice that same January, but was not eligible to play until the following season due to a rule that a player can only play for two clubs in a season. He made his debut on 8 August 2015 in a Ligue 1 match against Monaco.

After an impressive season where he scored 18 league goals, Ben Arfa caught the attention of several top European clubs. He joined PSG in the summer of 2016 and went on to win the Coupe de France, Coupe de la Ligue and Trophee des Champions during his two seasons at the club. Ben Arfa didn’t make a single appearance for PSG in his last season at the club.

Ben Arfa joined PSG in July 2016. Photo/ Eurosport.

On 2 September 2018, the Frenchman joined Rennes on a two-year deal and what would follow afterwards was spells at Real Valladolid, Bordeaux and eventually Lille.

While at Lille, he fell out with manager Jocelyn Gourvennec after a 0-0 draw against Bordeaux in April 2022. Ben Arfa would later insult Gourvennec and Lille president Olivier Letang on Instagram referring to them as ‘twisted’. The 36-year-old is currently a free agent and has never played for any other club since leaving Lille.