Ex-Newcastle winger Ben Arfa seals Nice move

Former Newcastle winger Hatem Ben Arfa sealed his long-awaited move to Nice on Tuesday, the Ligue 1 club announced.

The 28-year-old had been set to join Nice during the winter break but was caught up in an administrative mix-up before FIFA and the French football governing body stepped in to block the transfer.

Ben Arfa had played a game with Newcastle's reserves during the summer of 2014 before being loaned out to Premier League rivals Hull City, meaning he was prevented from joining Nice due to a rule that a player can only play for two clubs in a single season.

The former Lyon and Marseille forward will now return to France after five years in England on a deal the duration of which was not revealed.

"It's a bet for us as it is for him," club president Jean-Pierre Riviere said.

"He's a much-maligned lad but full of character and respectful of his commitments.

"We don't expect him as a messiah. He hasn't played for a long time."

Hailed as one of France's biggest prospects when he came out through the ranks of his boyhood club Lyon, Ben Arfa has been called up for France 13 times and scored twice.

He won four Ligue 1 titles with Lyon and one with Marseille before signing for Newcastle in 2010.
Source: AFP