Ex-PSG Star Hatem Ben Arfa Still Waiting for Ligue 1 Move

Hatem Ben Arfa while playing with PSG
Hatem Ben Arfa while playing with PSG. Photo by Alfonso Jimenez/REX/Shutterstock

Veteran attacking midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa, who most notably played for Ligue 1 powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain, is still without a club after his contract with Bordeaux expired in the summer. But this isn’t because of a lack of interest.

According to French outlet Foot Mercato, Ben Arfa had a number of inquiries in recent months from non-European clubs but decided to reject them all. Reportedly, the 34-year-old star is still hoping to continue his career in Ligue 1 and is ready to play the waiting game until he gets the move he wants.

One of the Ligue 1 clubs that are interested in Ben Arfa at the moment are reigning champions Lille, but they still haven’t decided to make an official approach for the player.

Ben Arfa played 25 games with Bordeaux in 2020-21, scoring two goals and dishing five assists. However, he played all of these matches in the first half of the season, with his last appearance for the club coming in February. It was reported at the time that Ben Arfa fell out of favor after clashing with manager Jean-Louis Gasset and several of his teammates.

Hatem Ben Arfa, who was once considered one of the brightest French talents, started his career with Lyon before embarking on stints with Marseille, Newcastle United, and Nice. After scoring 18 goals in 37 matches for Nice during the 2015/16 season, Ben Arfa secured a move to PSG, where he hoped to finally make the best out of his immense potential.

Unfortunately for Ben Arfa, his spell with PSG was largely unsuccessful and ended after just two seasons. He also played for Rennes and La Liga side Valladolid before coming to Bordeaux.