Transfer talk: Nice say they have deal with Newcastle’s Hatem Ben Arfa

The Ligue 1 club announced on Monday they had reached a deal to sign the on-loan Newcastle United winger, who had been with Hull City.

Hatem Ben Arfa had played in the Premier League since an original loan from Marseille to Newcastle in August 2010. Nigel Roddis / Reuters

Jan 03, 2015

Associated Press

Ligue 1 club Nice say they have reached a deal to sign Newcastle United winger Hatem Ben Arfa.

Nice said on Saturday that Ben Arfa has agreed to a move “in principle” and will have a medical in the Mediterranean city on Monday.

Ben Arfa, a member of the so-called “Generation 87” – a group of promising players born in 1987 that included Karim Benzema, Samir Nasri and Jeremy Menez – fell out with former Newcastle manager Alan Pardew and spent the last months of his English spell on loan at Hull City.

Ben Arfa has scored 2 goals in 13 matches for France but has not played with the national team in more than two years.

Ben Arfa also played for Lyon and Marseille before joining Newcastle in 2010. This season he has appeared in eight Premier League matches and one League Cup fixture with Hull.