Bremen move for Magpies target Hatem Ben ArfaAug 18 2010 by Steve Brown, The Journal
NEWCASTLE United’s fading hopes of landing Hatem Ben Arfa appear to have suffered a fatal blow after Werder Bremen made a 8million bid for the Marseille star.The French champions have promised the Bundesliga club an answer today on whether the £6.6million offer is acceptable, while Italian giants AC Milan have also entered the chase for the France winger.
The Magpies were understood to have agreed a deal with Marseille to take Ben Arfa on a season-long loan at a cost of 800,000 euros, with an option to sign the 23-year-old permanently for £5 million next summer – a sale which would have been triggered if he made 25 Premier League appearances.
Though Marseille president Jean-Claude Dassier then threatened to block the move, the midfielder reacted by declaring he would go on strike should he be made to stay at the Stadio Velodrome, before flying to the North East over the weekend.
However, talks with United – who have subsequently been linked with Real Mallorca front man Alhassane Keita – failed to reach a satisfactory conclusion, and Ben Arfa was summoned back to France.
Having sold strikers Mamadou Samassa to Valenciennes and Mamadou Niang to Fenerbahce, Marseille have confirmed they are on the lookout for “two attackers of quality reputation”, and that has seen Milan enter the equation.
The Serie A side are keen to offload Dutch forward Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and with a straight transfer unlikely due to Marseille’s lack of funds, Milan have suggested the possibility of taking Ben Arfa as part of the deal.
Bremen, with funds available following the £20million sale of Mesut Ozil to Real Madrid yesterday, have moved quickly as they look to fill the void left by the Germany star.
They have offered Ben Arfa, who cost Marseille 12million when he joined them from Lyon in 2008, a four-year deal worth 4.5million a year – around £70,000 a week.雲達加入戰團，六百六十萬鎊加七萬鎊週薪，我地可以收皮了……
