Transfer Rumor Alert: Ben Arfa to Leave in the Winter?

By: Sarah | September 27th, 2009

Ben Arfa contemplating a change this winter?

Rumor: Some French media outlets are reporting that HBA may leave OM in the winter for England. The destinations being mentioned are Wigan and Tottenham. Apparently, the Spurs, in particular, would like his services. They are citing The Sun as their source, but I couldn’t find an article on their web page to substantiate these rumors (as if The Sun resembles anything close to a credible source).

The only report I can find in the English media that even sounds like this were reports at the very end of the Summer transfer window that HBA might leave on a late deal. No deal ever materialized..

Verdict: I wouldn’t be shocked if HBA leaves in the summer if his playing time doesn’t improve, but I doubt he will leave for England this winter. Frankly, I don’t think he will move to England (he doesn’t like cold weather and he is rather delicate for such a physical league). He has always stated that he prefers La Liga because of its’ emphasis on technique. If he did move to England, I think he would only go to Arsenal. Wenger has always been honest about his high regard for Hatem. When Hatem transferred to OM in 2008, Wenger even said Arsenal would have been interested in purchasing the player had they thought Lyon would seriously consider selling him. Personally, I think Wenger would be a great coach for him– he has historically been able to help moody players transform into magnificent players.

With that being said, it would be a shame for OM to lose such a player. But it’s not really fair to either him or the team (who are paying his high wages) if he is just going to sit on the bench and only play 15 minutes per game. He really wants to succeed at OM, and I think he will at least wait out this year before giving up. Valbuena, on the other hand, I can definitely see him leaving this winter if the right deal came along.

HBA’s name has also been connected to Fiorentina, but those reports are even less credible.

UPDATE: Since writing this post, HBA’s name has come up in the English media. They are citing not only interest from the Spurs and Wigan, but also Manchester United and Arsenal. Both Wenger and Ferguson have been open about their admiration for Hatem (they have tried to recruit him since he was young at Clairefontaine).