Ben Arfa update – Marseille open to talks with Ben Arfa.

Posted on August 15th, 2010 | 47 Comments |

The next episode!
The next episode!
Marseille president Jean-Claude Dassier has opened the door for talks between himself and Hatem Ben Arfa.

Ben Arfa walked out on Marseille a few days ago in the hope of forcing a move to Newcastle, but the Marseille president now wants to talk to the player to try and resolve the situation.

Quite what that means is anyones guess, but the way I see it those talks can go one of two ways. The player will either stand his ground and still want to move to Newcastle, which would appear to be the more likely course of action given what Ben Arfa and his agent have said previously, or Dassier could convince Ben Arfa to change his mind as stay at Stade Velodrome this season.

“We cannot accept Hatem Ben Arfa’s attitude,” Dassier told French radio station RTL. “A professional player must honour his contract.

“That said, I don’t want to be the man who ruins Ben Arfa’s career. Let’s try to talk and see if we can find a solution.”

I think that the revelation that Dassier is open to talks with the player will force an outcome one way or the other sooner rather than later. The fact that Dassier doesn’t want to ruin the career of the player would suggest that if Ben Arfa sticks to his guns he can continue to force through the move to Tyneside.

It’s an interesting story, one that has had many many twists and turns and has still yet to run it’s course. Hopefully it will be sorted soon enough and the outcome will be favourable for Newcastle. I’ll not hold my breath though and will await the next twist in the saga with anticipation.

More to follow, no doubt!

NUFCBlog Author: toonsy toonsy has written 643 articles on this blog.

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47 Responses

  4. This must be getting especially frustrating for you Toonsy.

    It’s like torture this transfer saga and I had a weeks holiday in the middle of it!

  6. Well the only reason he seemed ready to come to us was down to the fact that he had to leave Marseilles. In saying that, even if they do want to open talks he might still turn round and tell them to bugger off given the way they’ve been with him so far.
    To be honest it just needs to be over and done with asap. This is dragging on and I hope to god we’re not stalling on other deals and banking on the fact we get him to keep fans happy. We still need to strengthen in numerous areas.

  7. I’ll believe it when I see him in our famous stripes.

    toons – did you get my post about the ‘I know the score’ game on the fantasy footy site?

  8. Oh and also, bellers to Cardiff is incredible for them. Would have loved to snap him up but sadly that isn’t happening like.

  9. WTVH – Not really mate. It’s an easy story, plenty of twists and turns, writes itself pretty much.

    As a fan it’s frustrating. I think most of us would like the lad here and just want it sorting :)

  11. True enough toonsy and the recent quotes have been pretty entertaining in fairness.

  12. Nice one mate. Seems to be as easy as the fanatasy footy league in terms of creating and joining and I know some of the lads on here will be up for it.

  14. Aye, it’s a good idea. People will already have the sign in aswell so it wil be easy to join. I’ll have a look at it and see if people are up for it sometime during the week :)

    Can’t believe how many teams there are in the Fantasy Footy. Near on 400 now. I said before I was only expecting 20ish :lol:

  19. Actually, why aren’t we looking for Bellamy on a loan deal? Reports are talking like he’ll sign for Cardiff purely to annoy city even though they clearly couldn’t care less after they gave him permission to train with them and banned him from their premesis. They’re refusing to let him sign for rival clubs with both fulham and everton being the two prem clubs mentioned. It can’t hurt to throw our name in the hat surely?

  20. “Newcastle are ready to thwart Fulham’s bid for Algerian defender Rafik Halliche, although the 23-year-old is due at Craven Cottage for a medical ahead of a £1.3m move from Benfica. ”

    apparently. Anyone ever heard of him?

  23. toonsy says:
    August 15, 2010 at 11:38 pm

    Can’t believe how many teams there are in the Fantasy Footy. Near on 400 now. I said before I was only expecting 20ish
    —————————-

    And I’m glad forit…suddenly 213th place doesn’t seem so pathetic

  26. 14/1 for a newcastle win a think a might have a little gamble on that like :) also its 125/1 for man utd to be winning at half time and newcastle to win the game might wak a squid on

  29. It’s alright mate. Just stay covered up, and avoid places that have trainers hanging on the telephone wires ;)

  30. They stop you in the middle of the road in everton,& try to touch you…It’s fun though..give it a try,MA does it often.

  34. Excuse me. Those austin factory alloys are worth at least a 0.2 of crack :lol:

    You know what they say, one mans rubbish is another mans riches and that….. ;)

  36. When I went to Barnsley away I parked the car in a scabby old side street,just as we got out with our Toon tops on 4 Barnsley fans came round the corner.I was gonna shift it somewhere else then though bollox it’s a company one :-) …………thought it may have been a burned out wreck when we got back but it was fine……..pity,could do with a new one ;-)

  37. I was toying with the idea of the Everton game myself,its on to members sale now and season ticket holders cant apply once it goes on to the members sale,how crazy is that? :roll:

  38. Gotta say I’ve never really had any problems taking the car to away grounds. The most dodgy one was Fulham. Not because of the area but because the signs were hard to understand so I had a niggling doubt about whether or not it was going to get towed away. It didn’t thank god.

    Worst place I have parked is under The Gate in the Volvo estate. Either that car is too long or the car park is too short. Got it in the space like, but it tokk 20 shunts to do it :lol:

  39. Rich – Would you want one or two tickets for it? If it’s the one you can use my membership if you want?

  41. 0815: Marseille are lining up Tottenham’s Roman Pavlyuchenko after the French club’s bid for Seville striker Luis Fabiano failed
    from BBC gossip
    HBA replacement?

  42. Toonsy,I havnt decided yet cos might bugger off to Alicante for a week start of October so would need to keep money for that if they approve my hols.cheers anyway mate.Bloody crazy rule season ticket holders now having to wait until public sale……….although last year I did apply once during members sale and got it…………tried a few weeks later for another game and couldnt :evil:

  43. Jay Jay – Not to Everton mate. Too many memories ;)

    Man City or Mackems for me next. They are the only two I can fit in around work and stuff, and even then it is only a possibly :(

  44. premandup……..yeah I saw that mentioned somewhere yesterday……..or maybe they’ll strike a deal with us over Ben Arfa and then up their bid for Fabiano ;-)

  46. probably go to Blackpool,last season was my first time at Blackpool and I genuinely thought it would be my last…..isnt football great?

  47. Premandup said “0815: Marseille are lining up Tottenham’s Roman Pavlyuchenko after the French club’s bid for Seville striker Luis Fabiano failed
    from BBC gossip
    HBA replacement?”

    No, its a replacement for M. Niang, who is sold to Fenerbache.